Month: April 2018

Salt Lake City, Utah—Utah students will get a first-hand look at what it takes to be a judge.
The Judge for a Day program provides eager high school students the opportunity to spend time with a judge and experience our legal system. Students have an opportunity to shadow a judge for one day from April through May.
This program is offered in conjunction with national Law Day. The 2018 Law Day theme is, “Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom.” Students were asked to write a short essay on the Law Day theme as part of their application.
This year 17 high school students applied and were accepted. They will be meeting with judges from Ogden, Farmington, Salt Lake, West Jordan, Provo, and Kanab.
Reporters who are interested in covering a job shadow day in their area can contact Geoffrey Fattah at geofff@utcourts.gov or office: 801-578-3994, cell: 801-712-4545. Upcoming dates with students will be posted on the Courts’ Twitter feed: @UtahStateCourts.

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Blanding, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a Justice Court judge position in Blanding City. The position will replace Judge William Walker who resigned Jan. 31, 2018.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in San Juan 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 range for the position is $12,742.00 to $13,010.00. Benefits may or may not be provided; for additional information contact Jeremy Redd at (435) 250-3485, or email at jredd@blanding-ut.gov.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, May 3, 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 Blanding, Joe B. Lyman, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Lyman 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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Tooele, UT — The panel of judges designated to determine the need for calling a grand jury is scheduled to meet on May 10, 2018, to hear testimony to determine whether reasonable cause exists to call a grand jury in any matter. The meeting will take place at the Tooele Courthouse, 74 S. 100 E., Rm 14. Tooele, Utah 84074.

Those wanting to request a grand jury and testify before the panel of judges should contact State Court Administrator Jacey Skinner at (801) 578-3820, by Tuesday, May 1, 2018, to schedule an appointment. If no appointments are scheduled by May 1, the meeting will not be held.

Individuals testifying must be prepared to give evidence to support claims that justify calling a grand jury in any criminal matter. A grand jury may not be called to hear private controversies between individual parties. Individuals who need special accommodations during the hearing should notify the court at least three business days prior to the hearing, to facilitate the accommodation.

Utah’s Grand Jury Statute, Utah Code 77-10a-2, requires a panel of five judges appointed from throughout the state to hold hearings in each judicial district every three years. The purpose of the hearings is to determine whether a grand jury needs to be summoned to return indictments based on evidence of criminal activity. The Grand Jury Panel is comprised of the following judges: Supervising senior judge, Judge W. Brent West, 2nd District Court; Judge Lynn W. Davis, 4th District Court; Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills, 3rd District Court; Judge Eric A. Ludlow, 5th District Court; and Judge Kara Pettit, 3rd District Court.

The Attorney General, a county attorney, district attorney, or special prosecutor appointed under U.C.A. section 77-10a-1 may also present evidence of criminal activity. As required by statute, the panel of judges will hear, in secret, all persons claiming information that justifies calling a grand jury. All individuals appearing before the panel of judges will be placed under oath. If a grand jury is summoned, the jurors will be called from the state-at-large or any judicial district within the state. Additional information is available at http://legacy.utcourts.gov/cal/grandjury.

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