PHOENIX β Arizona Supreme Court officials say former chief justice Charles Edward Jones has died at age 85.
They say Jones died Thursday morning surrounded by his family.
The cause of death wasn't released.
Jones earned his law degree at Stanford and was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1996 by then-Arizona Gov. Fife Symington.
He served as an associate justice from 1996-97, as vice chief justice from 1997-2002 and as the chief justice from 2002 until his retirement in 2005.
Jones is survived by his wife Ann, who was married to him for 60 years. A complete list of the couple's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren wasn't immediately available Thursday.
Funeral services are scheduled for Jan. 3 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Phoenix.
