Author: Utah Courts

Murray, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a justice court judge position that will serve Murray, Utah. The position will replace Judge Paul Thompson who will retire in May.

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 (www.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs).  The salary range for the position is $142,590 to $183,330 per year and includes benefits. For additional information about working for Murray, email Doug Hill, Chief Administrative Officer, at dhill@murray.utah.gov.

The deadline for applications is Monday, October 9, 2023 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 Murray, Brett Hales, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Hales will then have 30 days in which to select a finalist. His selection must then be ratified by the Murray City Council and certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Provo, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a justice court judge position that will serve Provo, Utah. The position will replace Judge Vernon (Rick) Romney who will retire in December.

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 (www.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs).  The salary range for the position is $142,590 to $183,330 per year and includes benefits. For additional information about working for Provo, email Rachel Karnes, Recruitment Administrator, at rkarnes@provo.org.

The deadline for applications is Monday, October 2, 2023 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 Provo, Michelle Kaufusi, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Kaufusi will then have 30 days in which to select a finalist. Her selection must then be ratified by the Provo City Council  and certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Third District Court has received a grant from the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) Eviction Diversion Initiative to strengthen eviction diversion efforts and improve housing stability across Salt Lake County.

The Third District is one of 10 state and local courts selected through a competitive application process and review by an advisory council composed of state court chief justices and court administrators.

“This furthers the courts’ mission, making the courts more open and accessible to people going through really difficult situations,” said Tania Mashburn, Communications Director for the courts.

Each court will use the grant funding to hire dedicated staff to implement holistic, sustainable, and community-driven strategies for resolving legal problems. Successful eviction diversion programs provide landlords and tenants with the time, information, and resources necessary to resolve their housing problems in the least harmful way.

Courts will benefit from ongoing peer learning opportunities, a national evaluation led by Stout Risius Ross LLC, and intensive technical assistance provided by NCSC as they implement eviction diversion and court reform strategies that leverage community resources including legal aid and mediation services, housing and financial counseling, and rental assistance programs. Funding for the program was made possible through a $10 million Wells Fargo Foundation grant awarded to NCSC in 2021 to strengthen eviction diversion efforts in state courts and improve housing stability.

Other selected sites include:

• Colorado: 4^th Judicial District Court, Colorado Springs
• Kansas: Douglas County Court, Lawrence
• Kentucky: Jefferson County District Court, Louisville
• Ohio: Akron Municipal Court
• Oklahoma: Tulsa County District Court
• Oregon: Clatsop County Circuit Court, Astoria
• Tennessee: Shelby County General Sessions Court, Memphis
• Texas: Harris County Precinct 1 & 2, Houston
• Utah: Third District Court, Salt Lake City
• Washington: Clark County Superior Court, Vancouver

Visit ncsc.org/eviction for more information about NCSC’s Eviction Diversion Initiative.

About the National Center for State Courts
Headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., the National Center for State Courts is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.

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MANTI, UT – The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Manti Sixth District Courthouse in Sanpete County will take place on August 21, 2023. The new courthouse, which was funded by the State Legislature in 202, is designed to be a prominent building located on Main Street between Union St. and 100 North. The two-story building will be approximately 28,500 square feet with a façade that will complement the traditional architecture of Manti. The building is also designed to house two courtrooms for District and Juvenile Court, which will include audio visual systems for both in-person and virtual hearings. The new courthouse was designed by VCBO Architecture and will be built by Okland Construction at a cost of $17.9 million. The estimated completion date for the new courthouse is November 2024.

WHO:

Governor Spencer Cox

Chief Justice Matthew Durrant

Senator Derrin Owens

County Commissioner Scott Collard

Mayor Alfred Bigelow

Councilperson Mary Wintch

WHEN:

August 21, 2023 – 1:00 p.m.

WHERE:

100 North Main Street

Manti, Utah 84642

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Grantsville, UT—The Tooele County Judicial Nominating Commission has scheduled a meeting on August 14, 2023 to review applications for a justice court judge position that will serve Grantsville, Utah. The position will replace Judge Ron Elton who will retire in September. The Commission will begin the meeting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Medium Conference Room at the Grantsville City Library. The library is located at 42 Bowery Street in Grantsville, 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 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.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 should contact James Peters at (801) 578-3824 or jamesp@utcourts.gov to request an appointment.

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Grantsville, Utah—The deadline for applications for a justice court judge position in Grantsville has been extended. The position will replace Judge Ron Elton who will retire in September.

To be considered for a justice court judgeship in Tooele 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 the 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 $22,407 to $40,333 per year and does not include benefits. For additional information, contact Jesse Wilson, Grantsville City Manager, at (435) 884-4632.

The deadline for applications is Monday, July 17, 2023 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. For an application or information, email jamesp@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the mayor of Grantsville, Neil A. Critchlow, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Critchlow will then have 30 days in which to make a selection. His selection must then be ratified by the  Grantsville City Council and certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Utah County, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a justice court judge position that will serve three-quarter time Utah County. The position will replace Judge Stevan Ridge who resigned  last year.

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 the 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 $106,943 to $162,960 per year and includes benefits. For additional information, contact Ralf Barnes, Utah County Human Resources Director, at (801) 851-8161.

The deadline for applications is Monday, July 10, 2023 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. For an application or information, email jamesp@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the  Utah County Commission within 45 days of its first meeting. The Utah County Commission will 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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Grantsville, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a justice court judge position that will serve Grantsville, Utah. The position will replace Judge Ron Elton who will retire in September.

To be considered for a justice court judgeship in Tooele 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 the 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 $22,407 to $40,333 per year and does not include benefits. For additional information, contact Jesse Wilson, Grantsville City Manager, at (435) 884-4632.

The deadline for applications is Monday, June 26, 2023 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. For an application or information, email jamesp@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the mayor of Grantsville, Neil A. Critchlow, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Critchlow will then have 30 days in which to make a selection. His selection must then be ratified by the Grantsville City Council and certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Salt Lake City, UT – The Utah Judicial Council is seeking public comment on two  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 June 14th.

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

Commissioner Catherine S. Conklin

Second District Court

Comments to GlenP@utcourts.gov

Christina Wilson

First and Second District

Comments to GlenP@utcourts.gov

Commissioner Joanna B. Sagers

Third District Court

Comments to Markp@utcourts.gov

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Farmington, Utah — The next regularly scheduled meeting of Utah’s grand jury panel of judges will be on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at the Farmington 2nd District Courthouse, located at 800 West State Street Farmington, UT. 840251 

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, Assistant District Court Administrator, Administrative Office of the Courts, at (435) 633-5549 by Monday, May 30, 2023, 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