Tony Scarborough

{{Short description|American judge (born 1946)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

Tony Scarborough (born 1946) is a former justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court from January 1, 1987, until his resignation on July 5, 1989, serving as chief justice for part of that term.Michael Perkins, "Scarborough Wins Chief Justice Post", Albuquerque Journal (January 7, 1987), p. 1 .

He was born in Russellville, Kentucky. His father James Scarborough was a judge.{{cite web|url=https://supremecourt.nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/NM-Appellate-Vol.-3-Scarborough-J.pdf |title=Justice Tony Scarborough: 1987–1989}}

Scarborough "graduated from New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell before receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Zoology from the University of Arizona and law degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas". He gained admitted to the bar New Mexico in 1965. He briefly worked as an FBI Special Agent.

Following the retirement of Chief Justice William R. Federici in December 1986, Harry Stowers was elected chief justice by his fellow justices. Some members of the court objected that the vote should not have been taken until after newly elected justices were seated on January 1, 1987. Consequently, once the new justices were sworn in, a new vote was held, and Scarborough was unanimously selected as chief justice, the first newly elected member of the court to be chosen for that office.Harrison Fletcher, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-santa-fe-new-mexican-espaola-man-le/129456205/ Española man leads top court for NM], The Santa Fe New Mexican (January 7, 1987), p. 1.

In 1989, Scarborough stepped down from the court to run for governor.Jay Miller, "Line between campaigning work time becomes fuzzy", The Santa Fe New Mexican (June 30, 1989), p. 8.