Month: June 2025

Salt Lake City, Utah — The Utah Judiciary is saddened to announce the passing of the Honorable Gordon R. Hall, former Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court, on June 1, 2025, at the age of 98.

Born on December 14, 1926, in Vernal, Utah, Justice Hall enjoyed a storied and impactful career that began in private practice in Tooele and included service as Tooele County Attorney and as a 3rd District Court judge. In 1977, he was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court, eventually serving as Chief Justice from 1981 to 1993.

During his time on the bench, Chief Justice Hall spearheaded efforts to strengthen judicial independence through constitutional reform, led Utah’s Judicial Council, served as President of the Conference of Chief Justices, and chaired the board of the National Center for State Courts. In 1988, he received the Distinguished Jurist Award for his exemplary contributions to the judiciary.

“Chief Justice Gordon R. Hall was a visionary leader whose commitment to fairness, judicial integrity, and the rule of law shaped our courts for generations. His legacy endures in the independence of Utah’s judiciary and the many lives he influenced,” said Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant.

In 2007, the Tooele County Courthouse was named in his honor, recognizing his dedication and significant impact.

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Box Elder County, Utah—The Box Elder County Judicial Nominating Commission has scheduled a meeting on June 13, 2025 to review applications for a justice court judge position that will serve Box Elder County, Utah. The position will replace Kevin Christensen who resigned in March. The Commission will begin the meeting at 12:00 p.m. in the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office, which is located at 81 North Main Street in Brigham City, Utah.

The early portion of the meeting is scheduled for public comment about issues facing the Utah judiciary and improvements to the system. Public comments will be accepted from 1:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Following the public comment period, the meeting will be closed to allow commission members to review applications for the vacancy.

Individuals interested in submitting oral or written commentary to the commission during the public comment portion of the meeting must contact Jim Peters at (801) 578-3824 or jamesp@utcourts.gov to request an appointment.

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