Utah Courts Recent Press Notifications

Salina, UT—The deadline for applications for a Justice Court Judge position in Salina City has been extended. The position will replace Judge Cordell Pearson who will leave the position in December 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Sevier 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 earned a high school diploma or GED. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Sevier County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The salary for the position is approximately $10,500 per year and does not include benefits. For additional information, contact Jennifer Vought at (435) 529-7304.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees toJed Maxwell, mayor of Salina City, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Maxwell 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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Harrisville, UT—The Weber County Nominating Commission has selected four nominees for a judicial vacancy in the Harrisville City Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Reuben Renstrom who left the position effective May 31, 2019.
Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:

• Darrin Johns, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of North Ogden
• Judge Michael Junk, J.D., Judge of Ogden City, resident of Ogden
• Judge Bryan Memmott, J.D., Judge of Plain City, resident of Kaysville
• Judge Trent Nelson, J.D., Judge of Roy/ Weber Justice Court, resident of Kaysville

A comment period will be held through Oct. 4, 2019. A final candidate will then be selected by Harrisville Mayor Michelle Tait who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the Harrisville 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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Grand County, UT—The deadline for applications for a Justice Court Judge position in Grand County has been extended. The position will replace Judge David Tubbs who will be leaving the position effective Nov. 3, 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Grand 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 earned a high school diploma or GED. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Grand County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The annual salary range for the position is $29,829 to $53,691 and may include benefits. For additional information, contact Renee Baker at (435) 259-1323 or by email at rbaker@grandcountyutah.net

The deadline for applications is Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the Grand County Council within 45 days of its first meeting. The Grand County Council 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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South Ogden, UT—The Weber County Nominating Commission has selected four nominees for a judicial vacancy in the South Ogden City Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Reuben Renstrom who left the position effective May 31, 2019.
Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:

• Darrin Johns, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of North Ogden
• Judge Bryan Memmott, J.D., Judge of Plain City, resident of Kaysville
• Judge Trent Nelson, J.D., Judge of Roy/ Weber Justice Court, resident of Kaysville
• Paul Olds, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of Pleasant View

A comment period will be held through Sept. 28, 2019. A final candidate will then be selected by South Ogden Mayor Russell Porter who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the South Ogden 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 Nominating Commission has selected four nominees for a judicial vacancy in the Riverdale Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Reuben Renstrom who left the position effective May 31, 2019.
Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:

• Darrin Johns, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of North Ogden
• Judge Bryan Memmott, J.D., Judge of Plain City, resident of Kaysville
• Judge Trent Nelson, J.D., Judge of Roy/ Weber Justice Court, resident of Kaysville
• Paul Olds, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of Pleasant View

A comment period will be held through Sept. 23, 2019. A final candidate will then be selected by Riverdale Mayor Norm Searle who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the Riverdale 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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Salt Lake City, UT— The Utah Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments at the S.J. Quinney College of Law on Tuesday Sept. 17, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The judicial panel comprised of Judge Jill Pohlman, Judge Ryan Harris, and Judge Diana Hagen will hear the following cases:

20160995, State v. Leech – 9:30 a.m.

20180585, Chard v. Chard – 10:00 a.m.

A Q&A session will take place afterward with law students, followed by a continuing legal education class (CLE) for attorneys on Effective Appellate Brief Writing and Oral Argument at 12:30 a.m.
Arguments will be held in the Moot Courtroom (law room 6200).

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Price, UT — A panel of judges is scheduled to meet on Oct. 10, 2019, to hear testimony to determine whether reasonable cause exists to call a grand jury. The meeting will take place at 120 East Main Street, Price, Utah 84501.
Those wanting to testify before the panel of judges should contact Michael C. Drechsel, Assistant State Court Administrator for the Administrative Office of the Courts, at (801) 578-3821 by Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, at 5 p.m. to schedule an appointment. If no appointments are scheduled by that time, the meeting will be canceled without further notice.
Individuals testifying must be prepared to give evidence to support claims that justify calling a grand jury. Controversies between individual parties will not be considered. Individuals who need special accommodations during the hearing must notify the court at least three business days prior to the hearing.
Utah’s Grand Jury Statute requires a panel of judges selected 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 based on evidence of criminal activity. The Grand Jury Panel is comprised of the following judges: 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.
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. 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 regarding the Grand Jury panel of judges is available at the Utah Court’s website or in the Utah Code.

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Saratoga Springs, UT—The deadline for applications for a Justice Court Judge position in Saratoga Springs has been extended. The position will replace Judge Carolyn Howard who resigned as of Aug. 9, 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Utah 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 degree from a law school that would make one eligible to apply for admission to a bar in any state in the United States. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Utah County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The annual salary range for the position is $35,795 to $64,430 and does not include benefits. For additional information, contact Owen Jackson by email at OJackson@saratogaspringscity.com.

The deadline for applications is Monday, Sept. 23, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to Jim Miller, mayor of Saratoga Springs, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Miller 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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Woods Cross, UT—The Davis County Nominating Commission has selected three nominees for a judicial vacancy in the Woods Cross Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Reuben Renstrom who left the position effective May 31, 2019.
Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:

• Darrin Johns, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of North Ogden
• Judge Bryan Memmott, J.D., Judge of Plain City, resident of Kaysville
• Judge Trent Nelson, J.D., Judge of Roy/ Weber Justice Court, resident of Kaysville

A comment period will be held through Sept. 6, 2019. A final candidate will then be selected by Woods Cross Mayor Rick Earnshaw who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the Woods Cross 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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Salt Lake City, Utah— In what is being called one of the most significant moves to narrow the access-to-justice gap ordinary people confront when faced with legal issues, the Utah Supreme Court on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve pursuing changes to the regulatory structure for legal services.
The changes, recommended by a joint Supreme Court/Utah Bar work group, focus on updating rules governing lawyers and allowing non-traditional legal services to be tested and approved in a, “regulatory sandbox.”
The result could mean expanding legal services that will meet the unmet legal needs of a large swath of society.
This is, “[m]aybe the most significant action for the access gap in years,” said Dr. Tom Clark, a leading figure in the access-to-justice arena, and a member of the work group. Chief Justice Matthew Durrant echoed Dr. Clark’s assessment, and reaffirmed the Utah Supreme Court’s, “dedication to tackling the access-to-justice gap,” and thanked the work group for its, “groundbreaking report.”
The work group, chaired by Utah Supreme Court Justice Deno Himonas and former Utah Bar president John Lund, spent the last year working on how best to optimize regulation in a manner that fosters innovation and promotes other market forces so as to increase access to and affordability of legal services. The result was a 71-page study: (https://www.utahbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/FINAL-Task-Force-Report.pdf).
The next step will be for the Supreme Court to create an implementation task force, which will begin work on putting the recommended changes in place.
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