La Paz County Presiding Judge Marcus A. Kelley Dies Suddenly at 54

Presiding Judge Marcus A. Kelley of the La Paz County Superior Court, 54, died on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, county and state notices show, and the Arizona Supreme Court distributed a press release announcing his sudden death on Feb. 23, 2026. Kelley served as the presiding superior court judge for La Paz County, leaving the county’s highest trial-level bench without its leader as officials have not released operational plans.

Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer, in the release distributed Feb. 23, said of Kelley, "He had a profound respect for the rule of law and deep pride in serving the citizens of La Paz County." Timmer added, "From my conversations with him, I know he also deeply valued the work of court staff and understood how essential they are to the fair and efficient administration of justice." Timmer further said Kelley was "Taken from us far too young" and offered condolences to "Kelley's wife and children."

Local reporting in La Paz County supplies additional biographical detail: "Marcus A. Kelley, 54, died on Sunday, Feb. 22," Havasunews reported, and noted his birthdate as May 4, 1971. Havasunews recorded his education in the same notice: "He earned a B.A. in History from Arizona State University in 1995." The Havasunews item also states, "He earned his law degree in 1999 from the Cordozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York."

Kelley’s path to the bench is documented in local election records cited by Havasunews: he won the Republican primary in August 2022 and ran unopposed in the November 2022 general election. "Kelley was elected to the La Paz County Superior Court's bench in 2022," 12News reported while corroborating the Arizona Supreme Court announcement. Havasunews states he had served as Superior Court Judge since 2023.

Coverage shows a spelling discrepancy in regional outlets: the Arizona Supreme Court release and Havasunews use the spelling Marcus A. Kelley while 12News at times spelled the surname "Kelly." The Arizona Supreme Court release is the primary official notice for the announcement and Chief Justice Timmer’s remarks.

No cause of death or further circumstances were included in the Arizona Supreme Court announcement or in the Havasunews and 12News reports. Havasunews’s article page lists a reader contact phone, 928-764-7657, for questions about the local story, and the Havasunews item displays an image file referenced as "030426_Marcus_Kelley_pic." Officials have not announced succession, changes to court schedules, or other administrative steps for the La Paz County Superior Court; the press release provided only Chief Justice Timmer’s statements and expression of condolences to Kelley's family.