Utah Courts Recent Press Notifications

Salt Lake City, UT — On Tuesday, April 21, 2020, the Utah Supreme Court entered an order permitting certain applicants to the Utah State Bar to be admitted to practice law in Utah if they agree to undertake 360 hours of practice under the supervision of an experienced attorney and either graduate from a law school with a high bar passage rate or are currently in good standing and licensed in another jurisdiction. This is a temporary accommodation designed to provide relief to certain applicants who had applied to take the Utah bar examination in July 2020 but will be unable to do so because of public health concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that applicants invest several weeks and thousands of dollars preparing to take the bar exam,” stated Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant. “Because of the crisis, not only could we not guarantee that Utah could offer the bar examination safely, we could not tell applicants when they should start to invest the time and money to prepare for the exam.” The Utah Supreme Court explored a number of possible solutions, including administering the examination under social distancing protocols or permitting these applicants to work under the “third-year practice rule” until an exam could be offered. Because the examination is administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, certain potential paths, like remote examination, may at some point become available, but it is unclear when, or even if, that might occur. “We hope that the bar exam will in some form become available sooner than is now anticipated, but at present, the other solutions we have examined have an unacceptable level of uncertainty for applicants and employers,” said Durrant.
On April 9, 2020, the Utah Supreme Court circulated a draft proposal that would provide a one-time path to licensure for some recent law school graduates. The proposal drew more than 500 comments and sparked national interest. After reviewing those comments, the Court revised the order to include certain applicants licensed to practice in another state and expanded the category of those who can serve as supervisors to the applicants.
Applicants must meet several requirements to qualify for alternative admission. The requirements are designed to ensure that the attorneys admitted to practice under this rule are as competent as those admitted after passing the two-day, 12-hour bar examination. Applicants must both fall under the definition of “Qualified Candidate” and must perform 360 hours of legal service under the supervision of an experienced attorney.
To be considered a “Qualified Candidate,” the applicant must either be a law school graduate or an attorney in good standing in another jurisdiction, and must have submitted an application to take the Utah bar examination on or before April 1, 2020.
Law school graduates must have graduated from a law school with an overall (meaning from all bar examinations, not just the Utah exam) first-time passing rate of 86% or greater in 2019. The court selected 86% as the cutoff because that was the passing-rate of all first-time takers of the Utah bar examination in 2019. By way of comparison, in 2019, the first-time taker passing rate for graduates of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah was 90.4% and was 89.5% for graduates of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. In addition, a graduate must be taking the examination for the first time.
If the applicant is an attorney from another jurisdiction who applied to take Utah’s bar examination, that attorney must be in good standing, have passed the bar exam in the other jurisdiction, and have graduated from an approved law school.
All Qualified Candidates must fulfill other typical requirements to be a member of the Utah bar, including undergoing a character and fitness check and passing the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, which tests knowledge of the profession’s ethical standards. Graduation from a highly-regarded law school and supervised practice reflect traditional paths to bar admission used by many jurisdictions before the widespread acceptance of a standardized examination.
The Utah Supreme Court understands there will be a number of applicants who will not be able to avail themselves of the alternative pathway. To accommodate those applicants, as well as others who want to gain admission through the bar exam, the court will not require them to wait until the next regularly-scheduled bar examination in February 2021, but will work with the National Conference of Bar Examiners to offer the examination in Utah as soon as it can be done safely.

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Salina, UT—The Sevier County Judicial Nominating Commission has announced the appointment of Judge Mark McIff to fill the Salina City Justice Court vacancy. The position will replace Judge Cordell Pearson who left the position in Dec. 2019.
Judge Mark McIff currently serves as judge of several justice courts in Sevier County, Piute County, and Sanpete County. He is also an attorney who practices law in the South Central Utah area. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting (1995) from Southern Utah University and his Juris Doctorate (1998) from Gonzaga University. 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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Vernal, UT— A panel of judges is scheduled to meet on May 8, 2020, to hear testimony to determine whether good cause exists to call a grand jury. The meeting will take place at 920 West Hwy 40, Vernal, Utah 84078.
Those wanting to testify before the panel of judges should contact Michael C. Drechsel, Assistant State Court Administrator, Administrative Office of the Courts, at (801) 578-3821 by Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at noon, to schedule an appointment and receive further specific instructions. If no appointments are scheduled by that time, the meeting will be canceled without further notice.
Due to significant public health concerns regarding COVID-19, and consistent with the directives of state officials, the members of the panel of judges will appear at the meeting remotely using video conferencing software. Those wishing to testify will appear for individual appointments at the Vernal courthouse where a single panel staff member will be present to operate the video conferencing software and facilitate the individual’s testimony to the panel of judges. As pandemic conditions continue to evolve, all hearings that are scheduled may be canceled up to the last minute to ensure compliance with any public health directive.
Utah’s grand jury statute requires a panel of judges selected from throughout the state to hold a hearing in each judicial district every three years. The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether a grand jury should be summoned based upon evidence of criminal activity. The panel of judges will hear, in secret, all persons claiming information that justifies calling a grand jury. An individual who testifies must be prepared to provide evidence to support a claim that justifies calling a grand jury. The Attorney General, a county attorney, district attorney, or special prosecutor appointed under U.C.A. section 77-10a-1 can also present evidence of criminal activity. Controversies between individual parties, civil matters, and matters that are subject to criminal appeal will not be considered. Any individual who appears before the panel of judges will be placed under oath. Individuals who need special accommodation during the hearing must notify Mr. Drechsel at least three business days prior to the hearing.
The members of the grand jury panel of judges are: Supervising 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. Additional information regarding the grand jury panel of judges is available at the Utah Court’s website or in the Utah Code.
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Salt Lake City, UT— Utah Supreme Court Justice Matthew B. Durrant has been elected to serve a third term as chief justice by a unanimous vote of his fellow justices.

Once elected by a vote of the justices, the chief justice serves a four-year term. The chief justice presides over the Utah Supreme Court, as well as the Utah Judicial Council, which oversees the administrative operations of Utah State Courts.

Chief Justice Durrant is leading the courts through the unprecedented circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chief’s leadership along with the hard work of every judicial branch employee and judge has helped the court move collectively across a very large state to keep the courts open for filings and hearings through online services and remote hearings. The Chief’s dedication to access to justice is apparent in his efforts to address the needs of the people through the Self Help Center and online court forms and services during the pandemic. The speed with which the judges and staff have implemented changes is remarkable. In a message to all court staff and judges, Durrant expressed his appreciation:

“The events of the last three weeks have been extraordinary and the work of our court employees and judges has also been extraordinary. . . . We are moving together, collectively, across a very large state, to accomplish the mission critical work of the courts. We know that each of you is doing your best, and we cannot ask for more. The judicial branch of government is open for business thanks to your hard work. We thank you for your dedication and your commitment to the mission of the courts.”

Chief Justice Durrant was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court in January 2000 by Governor Michael O. Leavitt. He succeeded then Chief Justice Christine Durham in 2012.

Before his appointment to the Utah Supreme Court, Chief Justice Durrant served as a trial judge in the Third Judicial District. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1984.
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Aurora, UT—The Sevier County Judicial Nominating Commission has announced the appointment of Judge Cyndee Probert to fill the Aurora City Justice Court vacancy. The position will replace Judge Cordell Pearson who left the position in December, 2019.

Judge Cyndee Probert was appointed to the Fillmore City Justice Court in 2015. Judge Probert graduated from the American Institute for Medical Assisting with a certificate in medical office management. She was then employed at Sevier Valley Hospital. Judge Probert was later employed for eight years as an in-court clerk and office manager where she served both the Millard County and Fillmore City Justice Courts. Judge Probert is currently enrolled and completing coursework at the National Judicial College. She is also a member on the Board of Justice Court Judges.

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Salt Lake City, UT— Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant has issued a follow-up order to his March 12th order regarding court operation during the pandemic. Today’s order provides the public and the Appellate, District, Juvenile, and Justice courts with more detailed information about court operations in the state during the pandemic. The most important message for the public is that the Courts in the state of Utah are open for business. Effective immediately, however, all non-essential court hearings will be delayed until further notice. The order issued today provides guidance on the types of hearings that are considered essential and will not be delayed. Courts have also taken steps to lessen the spread of the virus by cancelling group gatherings, and by using technology, when possible, to hold essential hearings.
“To be clear, the courts will continue to operate and provide mission-essential functions such as proceedings involving in-custody defendants and protective orders, to name a few,” said Chief Justice Durrant. “Using technology, we will continue to find ways to serve the public while reducing the number of people who need to physically come to court.”
Courts will be open to accept filings. The public can find more information at utcourts.gov on COVID-19. For details on the hearings, please refer to the Administrative Order.

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Salt Lake City, UT— Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant has issued an order outlining a first set of guidelines for the state court system as it confronts COVID-19.
“The health and safety of those who come into our courthouses and courtrooms seeking justice is a deep concern for me, our court staff, and our judges. We are also deeply concerned about the safety of our employees,” Durrant said. “At the same time, the mission-critical work of the courts must continue. Over the years, the Utah Judiciary has planned extensively for different types of emergencies, including a pandemic, so that we can continue our work when events like this occur.”
Chief Justice Durrant’s order follows Gov. Gary Herbert’s declaration of a statewide emergency earlier this week and the World Health Organization’s announcement that COVID-19 has become a pandemic. The order directs courts statewide to begin taking steps to lessen the impact of the virus by using measures like social distancing, sanitary precautions, and conducting business using technology. The Courts recognize that we all have an obligation to take steps to try to slow the spread of the virus in our communities. We are cancelling non-essential group gatherings, and we are working with our community partners, including sheriffs, prosecutors, defense attorneys and others, to cancel non-essential proceedings and to transition proceedings to video hearings where possible.
Additional orders and guidelines will be issued as the need arises. Utah’s state court system intensified our emergency preparedness planning in 2009 in response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. We have updated our plan in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Any member of the public who has a question about court operations during the pandemic should consult the Utah Court website at utcourts.gov, which includes Covid-19 alerts.

Salina, UT—The Sevier County Nominating Commission has selected three nominees for a judicial vacancy in the Salina City Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Cordell Pearson who left the position in December 2019.
Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:

• Judge Mark McIff, J.D., Judge of justice courts throughout Sevier County, Piute County, and Sanpete County, resident of Richfield;
• Megan Mustoe, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of Richfield; and
• Judge Cyndee Probert, Judge of the Fillmore City Justice Court, resident of Scipio.

A comment period will be held through Feb. 28, 2020. A final candidate will then be selected by Salina City Mayor Jed Maxwell who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the Salina City Council. The Utah Judicial Council must then certify the appointment. To submit written comments about the candidates, please contact Amy Hernandez at amymh@utcourts.gov.

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Aurora, UT—The Sevier County Nominating Commission has selected three nominees for a judicial vacancy in the Aurora City Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Cordell Pearson who left the position in December 2019.
Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:

• Judge Mark McIff, J.D., Judge of justice courts throughout Sevier County, Piute County, and Sanpete County, resident of Richfield;
• Megan Mustoe, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of Richfield; and
• Judge Cyndee Probert, Judge of the Fillmore City Justice Court, resident of Scipio.

A comment period will be held through Feb. 28, 2020. A final candidate will then be selected by Aurora City Mayor Daven Quarnberg who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the Aurora City Council. The Utah Judicial Council must then certify the appointment. To submit written comments about the candidates, please contact Amy Hernandez at amymh@utcourts.gov.

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Riverdale, UT—The Weber County Judicial Nominating Commission has announced the appointment of Paul Olds to fill the Riverdale Justice Court vacancy. The position replaces Judge Reuben Renstrom who resigned in May 2019.

Paul Olds holds two Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Utah. In Dec. of 1993, he graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law. After graduating, he practiced law in Northern Utah for over 25 years. For nine of those years, he served as an Assistant City Attorney for the cities of Ogden and Riverdale. He also served as the public defender for the cities of Clearfield and Harrisville. As private defense counsel, he handled matters in most of the justice and district courts in Northern Utah. For 10 years, he also taught criminal and business law courses at Weber State University.

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