Utah Courts Recent Press Notifications

West Jordan, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a full-time justice court judge position that will serve West Jordan, Utah. The position will replace Judge Ronald Kunz who will retire in January. 

To be considered for a justice court judgeship in Salt Lake 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, applicants must be a resident of Salt Lake County, an adjacent county, or the judicial district in which the justice court is located either upon appointment or within a reasonable time following appointment.  

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at www.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (https://legacy.utcourts.gov/employment). The salary range for the position is $149,730 to $192,510 per year and includes benefits. For additional information about working for West Jordan, email Kassie Draper, Human Resource Generalist, at Kassie.Draper@westjordan.utah.gov or call her at (801) 569-5038.

The deadline for applications is Friday, November 1, 2024 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the  attention of Jim Peters, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. For questions about the justice courts or the process for filling this position, email Jim Peters, Justice Court Administrator, at jamesp@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the mayor of West Jordan, Dirk Burton, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Burton will then have 30 days in which to select a finalist. His selection must then be ratified by the West Jordan City Council and certified by the Utah Judicial Council. 

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Salt Lake City, Utah — The Utah Judicial Council is seeking public comment on three court commissioners as required by Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rule 3-201. The commissioners are up for retention for a four-year term. Individuals who wish to comment on the court commissioners are encouraged, but not required, to provide their names and contact information. The comment period closes on October 4, 2024.

The court commissioners up for retention and the email addresses to which comments should be sent are as follows:

Commissioner Kim M. Luhn

Third District Court

Comments to markp@utcourts.gov

Commissioner Marla Snow

Fourt District Court

Comments to debbiej@utcourts.gov

Commissioner Julie Winkler

First and Second District Courts

Comments to brettf@utcourts.gov or glenp@utcourts.gov

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Pleasant Grove, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a part-time justice court judge position that will serve Pleasant Grove, Utah. The position will replace Judge Randy Birch who resigned in March.

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, applicants must be a resident of Utah County, an adjacent county, or the judicial district in which the justice court is located either upon appointment or within a reasonable  time following appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at www.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website  (https://legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The salary range for the position is $46,417 to $59,678 per year. For additional information about working for Pleasant Grove, email Scott Darrington at  sdarrington@pgcity.org.

The deadline for applications is Monday, October 21, 2024 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the  attention of Jim Peters, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. For questions  about the justice courts or the process for filling this position, email Jim Peters, Justice Court  Administrator, at jamesp@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the  mayor of Pleasant Grove, Guy Fugal, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Fugal will then have 30 days in which to select a finalist. His selection must then be ratified by the Pleasant Grove City Council and certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Providence, Utah—The deadline for applications for a part-time justice court judge position that will serve Providence, Utah has been extended. The position will replace Judge Matthew Funk who resigned in January.

To be considered for a justice court judgeship in Cache 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, applicants must be a resident of Cache County, an adjacent  county, or the judicial district in which the justice court is located either upon appointment or within a reasonable time following appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at www.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (https://legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The salary range for the position is $20,962 to $26,951 per year and does not include benefits. For additional information about working for Providence,  email Tyler Cameron at tcameron@providence.utah.gov or call him at (435) 752-9441.

The deadline for applications is Friday, October 4, 2024 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Jim Peters, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City,  UT, 84114-0241. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. For questions about the justice courts or the process for filling this position, email Jim Peters, Justice Court Administrator, at jamesp@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the mayor of Providence, Kathleen Alder, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Alder will then  have 30 days in which to select a finalist. Her selection must then be ratified by the Providence City Council and certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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South Salt Lake, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a justice court judge position that will serve South Salt Lake, Utah. The position will replace Judge Ryan Richards who will resign his position on or before December 31, 2024.

To be considered for a justice court judgeship in Salt Lake 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, applicants must be a resident of Salt Lake County, an adjacent county, or the judicial district in which the justice court is located either upon appointment or within a reasonable time following appointment.

Richfield, Utah — The next regularly scheduled meeting of Utah’s grand jury panel of judges will be on Thursday, October 2024, at the Richfield 6th District Courthouse, located at 845 East 300 North, Richfield UT, 84701.¹

The purpose of the meeting is to hear testimony, if any, to determine whether a grand jury should be summoned based upon evidence of criminal activity. The panel of judges will hear, in secret, individuals claiming information that justifies calling a grand jury. Individuals appearing before the panel of judges will be placed under oath. 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.

Those wanting to testify before the panel of judges should contact Keri Sargent, Deputy District Court Administrator, Administrative Office of the Courts, at (801) 238-7547 by Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at noon, to schedule an appointment and arrange to receive further specific instructions. Any individual needing special accommodation during the hearing must notify panel staff at least three business days prior to the hearing. If no appointments are scheduled by the appointed time, the meeting will be canceled without further notice.

The current members of the grand jury panel of judges are: Supervising Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills, 3rd District Court; Judge Roger W Griffin, 4th District Court; Judge Angela Fonnesbeck, 1st District Court; Judge Matthew Bell, 5th District Court; and Judge Paul Parker, 3rd District Court. Additional information regarding the grand jury panel of judges is available at the Utah Court’s website² in the Utah Code.³

1    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.

2    http://www.utcourts.gov/cal/grandjury

3    https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title77/Chapter10A/77-10a-S2.html?v=C77-10a-S2_2018050820180508

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Providence, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a justice court judge position that will serve Providence, Utah. The position will replace Judge Matthew Funk who resigned in January.

To be considered for a justice court judgeship in Cache 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, applicants must be a resident of Cache County, an adjacent county, or the judicial district in which the justice court is located either upon appointment or within a reasonable time following appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at www.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (www.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The salary range for the position is $20,962 to $26,951 per year and does not include benefits. For additional information about working for Providence, email Tyler Cameron at  tcameron@providence.utah.gov or call him at (435) 752-9441.

The deadline for applications is Friday, September 13, 2024 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Jim Peters, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City,  UT, 84114-0241. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. For questions about the justice courts or the process for filling this position, email Jim Peters, Justice Court  Administrator, at jamesp@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the  mayor of Providence, Kathleen Alder, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Alder will then  have 30 days in which to select a finalist. Her selection must then be ratified by the Providence City  Council and certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Salt Lake City, UT – Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant has been elected president of the Conference of Chief Justices by a vote of his fellow chief justices in state courts nationwide. Chief Justice Durrant will serve as president for a one-year term beginning on August 8, 2024.  He succeeds Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals who served as president for the past year.

“I am honored to serve as president of the Conference of Chief Justices as we continue to improve the critical work of administering justice in state courts,” said Chief Justice Durrant in a statement.

The Conference of Chief Justices was founded in 1949 to provide an opportunity for the highest judicial officers of the states to discuss matters of importance to the organization and operation of state courts, and to promote the vitality, independence and effectiveness of state judicial systems. Membership in the Conference of Chief Justices consists of the highest judicial officer of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Chief Justice Durrant was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court in January 2000 by Governor Michael O. Leavitt. He has served as Chief Justice since 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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Washington City, Utah—The Washington City Judicial Nominating Commission has scheduled a meeting on June 3, 2024 to review applications for a justice court judge position that will serve Washington City, Utah. The position will replace Judge Jake Graff who will resign in June. The Commission will begin the meeting at 2:00 p.m. in the Washington City Hall, which is located at 111 North 100 East in Washington City, Utah. 

Beaver, Utah — The next regularly scheduled meeting of Utah’s grand jury panel of judges will be on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the Beaver 5th District Courthouse, located at 2270 South 525 West, Beaver, UT 84713.¹

The purpose of the meeting is to hear testimony, if any, to determine whether a grand jury should be summoned based upon evidence of criminal activity. The panel of judges will hear, in secret, individuals claiming information that justifies calling a grand jury. Individuals appearing before the panel of judges will be placed under oath. 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.

Those wanting to testify before the panel of judges should contact Keri Sargent, Deputy District Court Administrator, Administrative Office of the Courts, at (801) 238-7547 by Tuesday, June 3, 2024, at noon, to schedule an appointment and arrange to receive further specific instructions. Any individual needing special accommodation during the hearing must notify panel staff at least three business days prior to the hearing. If no appointments are scheduled by the appointed time, the meeting will be canceled without further notice.

The current members of the grand jury panel of judges are: Supervising Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills, 3rd District Court; Senior Judge Lynn W. Davis, 4th District Court; Judge Angela Fonnesbeck, 1st District Court; Judge Matthew Bell, 5th District Court; and Judge Paul Parker, 3rd District Court. Additional information regarding the grand jury panel of judges is available at the Utah Court’s website² or in the Utah Code.³

1 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.

2 http://www.utcourts.gov/cal/grandjury

3 https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title77/Chapter10A/77-10a-S2.html?v=C77-10a-S2_2018050820180508