Month: January 2018

Mount Pleasant, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a Justice Court judge position in Mount Pleasant City. The position will replace Judge Ivo Peterson who will retire effective June 30, 2016.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Sanpete County, candidates must be at least 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a Utah resident for at least three years, and have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. In addition, candidates must be a resident of the county in which the court is located—or an adjacent county—for at least six months.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov. An application for judicial office must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The annual salary for the position is $11,485.00 with no benefits. For additional information contact Tami Larson at (435) 462-2456, Ext. 2 or email at jcmtpleasant@utcourts.gov.

The deadline for applications is Monday, Feb. 5, 2018 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Melisse Stiglich, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or more information, email melisses@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the Mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Sandra Bigler, within 45 days of its first meeting. The Mayor Bigler then has 30 days in which to make a selection. The selection must then be certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Salt Lake City, UT—The Salt Lake County Nominating Commission has selected five nominees for an upcoming vacancy in the Salt Lake City Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Catherine E. Roberts who retired effective Dec. 31, 2017.

Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:
• Clemens Alexander Landau, J.D., Zimmerman Booher, resident of Salt Lake City
• Thaddeus James May, J.D., Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, resident of Millcreek
• Jesse Michael Nix, J.D., Salt Lake Legal Defender Association , resident of Salt Lake City
• Katherine Peters, J.D., Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, resident of Salt Lake City
• Melanie Marie Serassio, J.D., Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, resident of Sandy

A comment period will be held through Jan. 24, 2018, before a final candidate is selected by the Mayor of Salt Lake City, Jackie Biskupski, who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the Salt Lake City Council. The Utah Judicial Council must then certify the appointment. To submit written comments about the candidates, contact Melisse Stiglich, Administrative Office of the Courts, at melisses@utcourts.gov.

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Manti and Gunnison, UT— The Sanpete County Nominating Commission has announced the appointment of Honorable Mark K. McIff to fill the Manti and Gunnison Justice Court judicial vacancies. The positions will replace Judge Ivo Peterson who retired effective June 30, 2017.

Judge Mark K. McIff currently serves as judge of the justice courts in Sevier County, Piute County, Ephraim, Fairview City, Fountain Green City, Moroni and Spring City. He is also an attorney who practices in the south central Utah area. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting (1995) from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, and a juris doctorate degree (1998) from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He formerly held the positions of Piute County Attorney, Wayne County Attorney, Deputy Sevier County Attorney, Deputy Garfield County Attorney, city prosecutor for several cities, and chief criminal prosecutor for the Wasatch County Attorney’s Office.

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Salt Lake City, UT — Fellow Utah State Court judges and administrators took time to honor retired Third District Juvenile Judge Christine Decker after news of her passing yesterday.

Judge Decker had retired from the bench in February 2015, but remained active in advisory and training rolls for the court.

“Judge Decker cared deeply about the children and families she served,” Said Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant. “She touched the lives of many, and her influence will be felt for years to come.”

Judge Decker was appointed to the Third District Juvenile Court bench in August 2004 by Governor Olene Walker. She graduated cum laude in 1971 from Georgetown University in International Relations, and received a law degree from the University of Utah in 1975. From 1977 to 1978, she worked as a deputy county attorney in Salt Lake County, and as a bail commissioner for Salt Lake City in 1979. Judge Decker worked in private practice from 1994 to 1997 and as a Guardian ad Litem in Third District Juvenile Court from 1997 to 2002. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Decker was an assistant attorney general in the child protection division.

“Her years of exceptional service to the children and families of Utah will not soon be forgotten. Our deepest sympathies are with her husband Rod and their family,” said Utah State Court Administrator Rick Schwermer.

In 2015, Judge Decker was awarded the Christine M. Durham Woman Lawyer of the Year and the 2015 Matheson award for outstanding service to the youth of Utah.

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