December 2011 – Utah Court Rules – Published for Comment

Posted: December 20, 2011

Rules Governing the Utah State Bar

USB 14-0503. Ethics and Discipline Committee. Amend. Adds a vice chair to the Ethics and Discipline Committee and establishes a screening panel member removal process.
USB 14-0510. Prosecution and appeals. Amend. Provides that a judicial officer’s failure to address or report alleged attorney misconduct is not evidence that misconduct has or has not occurred. Establishes that a screening panel’s involvement in the diversion process ceases once the material terms of a diversion contract have been agreed to.
USB 14-0533. Diversion. Amend. Provides that OPC, as secretary to the screening panel, memorializes the diversion contract.

Petition to Create Ethics Advisory Opinion Safe Harbor.
USB 14-0504. OPC counsel. Amend. Prohibits OPC from prosecuting a lawyer for an act expressly authorized by an ethics advisory opinion. Provides that a court is not bound by an the interpretation of an ethics advisory opinion. Permits OPC to request that the ethics advisory opinion committee review, modify or withdraw an ethics advisory opinion. Permits OPC to request that the supreme court review, affirm, reverse or modify an ethics advisory opinion.

Posted: December 2, 2011

Rules of Civil Procedure

URCP 025. Substitution of parties. Amend. Clarifies that the notice of hearing on a motion to substitute parties must be served with the motion if the hearing has been scheduled by the time the motion is served.

Posted: December 2, 2011

Rules of Criminal Procedure

URCrP 007. Proceedings before magistrate. Amend. Implements the Supreme Court’s decision in State v. Hernandez, 2011 UT 70, requiring preliminary hearings in class A misdemeanors.
URCrP 036. Withdrawal of counsel. Amend. Requires counsel to include in a motion to withdraw a certification that withdrawal is consistent with the rules of professional conduct.

Posted: December 2, 2011

Code of Judicial Administration

CJA 03-0414. Court security. Amend. Removes from the rule certain architectural features for court facilities. Transfers some responsibilities from the TCEs and the Judicial Council to the Court Security Director. Regulates access keys and cards. Prohibits demonstrations inside a courthouse. Technical amendments.
CJA 04-0510.01 Alternative dispute resolution definitions. Renumber and amend. Replaces paragraph (1) of Rule 4-510. Retains the same definition of terms.
CJA 04-0510.02 Responsibilities of the Director and Administrative Office of the Courts. Renumber and amend. Replaces paragraphs (2) and (4)(A) of Rule 4-510. Retains the same responsibilities for program administration.
CJA 04-0510.03. Qualification of ADR providers. Renumber and Amend. Replaces paragraph (3) of Rule 4-510. Retains the same qualifications for ADR providers.
CJA 04-0510.04. ADR training. Renumber and Amend. Replaces paragraph (4) of Rule 4-510. Retains the same training qualifications and requirements.
CJA 04-0510.05 Referral of civil actions. Renumber and amend. Replaces paragraphs (5) through (16) of Rule 4-510.Modifies how cases involved in ADR are handled. Eliminates the requirement to view the ADR video.
CJA 04-0510.06 Cases exempt from ADR rules. Renumber and amend. Replaces the “Applicability” section Rule 4-510. Identifies the casetypes excluded from the ADR rules.
CJA 04-0904. Informal trial of support, custody and parent-time. New. Provides for an optional informal trial in which the parties present their cases in narrative form with questions by the judge.