Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
Established in March 2006, this award recognizes that criminal law prosecutor who has worked tirelessly to advance the principles of criminal justice by representing the public’s interest with integrity, fairness, tenacity, creativity, brilliance and, above all, professionalism.
2026 Recipient
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Born in Provo, Utah, L. Scott Bennett would earn his BA, majoring in communications and minoring in political science, from Southern Utah University in 1999. He would later graduate from the University of Tulsa College of Law with his Juris Doctor in 2002. Scott began his career as a public defender in 2002. With a desire to prosecute, Scott quickly accepted employment with the Maricopa County Attorney’s office in 2004. He later accepted a position with the Pinal County Attorney’s Office in 2007. In March of 2011, Scott was offered the position of Chief Deputy at the Graham County Attorney's Office. Scott served in that position until 2020, when he was elected Graham County Attorney. In his time at Graham County, Scott has personally prosecuted most of the county’s violent and sexually based crimes. In 2017, Scott was honored with the State of Arizona Prosecutor of the Year Award. In his spare time, Scott teaches at EAC and SUU. He is an avid Diamondbacks fan and enjoys spending time with his family. Scott and his wife Shawnda, a high school music teacher, have five children aged 21 to 7. |
Previous Recipients
The award has been presented to:
| 2006 | Rick A. Unklesbay |
| 2007 | Paul K. Charlton |
| 2008 | Daniel G. Knauss Kathleen A. Mayer |
| 2009 | Barbara LaWall |
| 2010 | Sandra M. Hansen |
| 2011 | Beth A. Anderson |
| 2012 | Sheila Polk |
| 2013 | Hon. Randall M. Howe Hon. Kent Cattani |
| 2014 | Theodore Campagnolo |
| 2015 | Kellie L. Johnson |
| 2016 | James Alan Goodwin |
| 2017 | Hon. John S. Leonardo |
| 2018 | Kimberly H. Ortiz |
| 2019 | Ryan P. Green |
| 2020 | Bill R. Hughes |
| 2021 | Kent Volkmer |
| 2022 | Elizabeth Burton Ortiz |
| 2023 | Bradley W. Carlyon |
| 2024 | William P. Ring |
| 2025 | Gary Restaino |
State Bar Annual Awards
- Award of Appreciation
- Award of Special Merit
- Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award
- Hon. John R. Sticht Disability Achievement Award
- James A. Walsh Outstanding Jurist Award
- Mark I. Harrison Excellence in Mentorship Award
- Member of the Year Award
- Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
- Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year Award
- President's Award
- Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award
- Tom Karas Criminal Justice Award