Utah Courts Recent Press Notifications

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a Justice Court judge position in Pleasant Grove, Utah. The position will replace Judge Brent Bullock who will retire effective Feb. 28, 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 have been 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 starting annual salary range for the position is $24,945 to $44,901 DOQ with no benefits except URS retirement contributions as required by Utah State Code. For additional information, please email Scott Darrington, Pleasant Grove City Administrator, at sdarrington@pgcity.org.

The deadline for applications is Monday, Nov. 26, 2018 at 5:00 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 Pleasant Grove Mayor Guy Fugal within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Fugal and the Pleasant Grove City Council then have 30 days in which to make a selection. The selection must then be certified by the Utah Judicial Council.
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Spanish Fork, UT— A panel of judges is scheduled to meet on Oct. 11, 2018, to hear testimony to determine whether reasonable cause exists to call a grand jury. The meeting will take place at the Spanish Fork Courthouse, 775 West Center, Spanish Fork, UT 84660.

Those wanting to testify before the panel of judges should contact Deputy State Court Administrator Jacey Skinner at (801) 578-3807 by Thursday, Sept. 27 2018, to schedule an appointment. If no appointments are scheduled by Oct. 4, 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 is available at http://legacy.utcourts.gov/cal/grandjury.

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Salt Lake City, UT—The Third District Commissioner Nominating Committee has selected three nominees for a vacancy resulting from Commissioner T. Patrick Casey’s retirement on October 5, 2018.
The nominees are:
• Shane Marx who is an attorney in private practice at Marx Family Law.
• Russell Minas who is an attorney in private practice at Lowe Hutchinson Cottingham & Minas.
• Melissa Patten-Greene who is an attorney in private practice at The Law Offices of Melissa A. Patten-Greene.
A comment period will be held through September 16, 2018 before a final candidate is selected. The Utah Judicial Council must then certify the appointment within 45 days of selection. To submit written comments about the candidates, contact Peyton Smith, Third District Court Executive, at peytons@utcourts.gov.
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Blanding, UT— The San Juan County Nominating Commission has announced the appointment of the Honorable Lyon W. Hazleton II to fill the Blanding Justice Court vacancy. The position will replace Judge William Walker who resigned as of Jan. 31, 2018.

Judge Lyon W. Hazleton II, was appointed to the San Juan County Justice Court in 1994 and the Monticello City Justice Court in 1999. Judge Hazleton graduated with an Associate of Science degree from the College of Eastern Utah. In addition to completing education through the Administrative Office of the Courts, Judge Hazleton has also attended several courses through the National Judicial College in Reno, Nev., and received a Certificate in Legal Studies from the Utah Judicial Institute. Judge Hazelton has served as education director for the Justice Court judges and Seventh District court clerks. He was awarded the Justice Court Service Award in 2001. Judge Hazelton has been an active volunteer member of the San Juan County and Monticello City Emergency Services for more than 27 years. In addition, he has worked with the Boy Scouts and other youth programs.

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Blanding, UT—The San Juan County Nominating Commission has selected three nominees for the vacancy in the Blanding City Justice Court. The position will replace Judge William Walker who resigned Jan. 31, 2018.

Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:
• Alva Byron Clarke III, retired from Public Education, resident of Blanding
• Richard Allen Eldredge, San Juan County Sheriff, resident of Blanding
• Honorable Lyon Wesley Hazleton II, San Juan County and Monticello City Justice Court Judge, resident of Monticello

A comment period will be held through June 26, 2018, before a final candidate is selected by the Mayor of Blanding, Joe B. Lyman, who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the Blanding City Council. The Utah Judicial Council must then certify the appointment. To submit written comments about the candidates, contact Melisse Stiglich, Administrative Office of the Courts, at melisses@utcourts.gov.

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Salt Lake City, UT¬—The Utah State Courts would like to warn the public about reports of a recent phone scam.
Scammers have been “spoofing” the main phone line for the Utah Court of Appeals (801-578-3900) in their caller ID return. Spoofing refers to when an unrelated phone number is used for caller ID to mask the caller’s identity.
The scammers are identifying themselves as federal agents with the FBI and telling people that they owe money and must pay or they will be arrested. The Utah State Courts is a state government entity and has nothing to do with the FBI.
The Utah State Courts is advising the public to contact their local law enforcement agency if you have received one of these calls.
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Snowbird, UT—Fourth District Juvenile Judge Mary T. Noonan was presented with the Scott M. Matheson Award on Thursday during the 39th Annual Promising Youth Conference.

The conference is an interagency gathering of professionals from education, the courts, human services, juvenile justice, and other public/private organizations who all deal with at-risk and under-resourced youth who are experiencing educational, legal, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges.

Judge Noonan was recognized for her many years of dedication to public service and more specifically to bringing a positive energy to the youth in her court.

Judge Noonan did not set out to become a judge. After working as a social worker in inner-city Boston, she came to Utah where she earned her law degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law and Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah. She practiced law for several years before serving as Director of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services and as Director of the Office of Legal Counsel for the Department of Human Services. Noonan served as Division Director of the Utah Attorney General’s Office Child Protection Division, and as section chief of the Southern Division for the same office. In 2003, after being encouraged by a judge to apply, she was appointed to the Fourth District Juvenile Court bench by Governor Michael O. Leavitt.

Judge Noonan is widely known for building bridges between the Juvenile Court and schools. She organized the Child Welfare Interdisciplinary Council in the Fourth District, as well as night court to ease the burden on parents who had to miss work for frequent court hearings.

“Judge Mary Noonan is a rare example of one who has devoted her professional life to bettering the lives of children,” said Utah State Courts Administrator Richard Schwermer. “Both at the Department of Human Services and as a Juvenile Court Judge, she strived to innovate on behalf of children and their families. One example is her experimentation with a late afternoon and night calendar, designed to make it easier for students to both attend school and court hearings, and to make it easier for parents to appear with their children. Her unique energy and her enthusiasm and advocacy for children are why she is so deserving of this important recognition.”

Judge Noonan has announced that she will retire in July.

Photo caption: Fourth District Juvenile Judge Mary T. Noonan was presented the Scott M. Matheson Award by former Utah Court of Appeals, and former juvenile judge, Regnal W. Garff on Thursday during the 39th Annual Promising Youth Conference.

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Blanding, UT—The San Juan County Judicial Nominating Commission has scheduled a meeting on June 11, 2018, to select candidates for the vacancy in the Blanding City Justice Court to replace Judge William Walker who resigned Jan. 31, 2018. The commission will begin the meeting at 12 p.m. in the Blanding City Council Room located on 50 West 100 South, Blanding.

The early portion of the meeting is scheduled for public comment about issues facing the Utah judiciary and refinements or improvements to the system. Public comments will be accepted from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Following the public hearing, the meeting is closed to allow commission members to select a slate of three to five candidates for the vacancy.

Individuals interested in appearing before the commission during the public comment portion of the meeting should contact Melisse Stiglich at (801) 578-3844 to request an appointment. Information on the Justice Court Nominating Commission members is available at legacy.utcourts.gov.

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Salt Lake City, UT—The Utah Judicial Council is seeking public comment on a court commissioner up for retention for a four-year term, as required by Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rule 3-201. Individuals who wish to comment on the court commissioner are encouraged, but not required, to provide their names and contact information. The comment period closes on May 31, 2018.

The court commissioner up for retention is:

Commissioner Michelle Tack
Third District Court

Comments on Commissioner Tack should be submitted to Peyton Smith at peytons@utcourts.gov, or by mail at P.O. Box 1860, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1860.

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Blanding, Utah— The deadline for applications for a Justice Court judge position in Blanding City has been extended. 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 Friday, May 18, 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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