"Selection of judges shall be based solely upon consideration of fitness for office without regard to any partisan political consideration."
about
Judicial nominating commissions help select candidates for judicial vacancies. There is a nominating commission for each judicial district, including the appellate courts. Each commission consists of seven commissioners appointed by the Governor to serve a four-year term. Each commissioner must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Utah, and a resident of the judicial district the commission is representing. Commissioners may not be members of the state Legislature and may not serve successive terms.
Nomination Steps
The Utah Constitution establishes merit selection as the exclusive method of choosing a state court judge. A commission shall select and nominate judges based solely on fitness for the position, without regard to any partisan political consideration. There are four steps in Utah's merit selection plan:
- Nomination - made by a judicial nomination commission
- Appointment by the Governor
- Confirmation by the state senate &
- Retention election
For more information regarding retention elections please visit the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission.
Process & Review
Commission members review the applications for vacant judicial positions and select candidates to interview. After interviews have been conducted, the Commission refers five names (for district and juvenile court judges) or seven names (for appellate court judges) to the Governor. The Governor appoints one of the nominees who must then be confirmed by a majority of the Utah State Senate. Judicial Nominating Commissions are governed by the Utah Constitution, law, and administrative rules:
- Utah Constitution Article VII, Section 8.
- Utah Code, Title 78A, Chapter 10, Judicial Selection Act.
- Utah Administrative Code, Title R356, Judicial Nominating Commissions (§§ 356-101-1 - 356-101-12).
MEET THE commissions
Appellate
Michelle Quist
Ann Marie Taliaferro
Nic Caine
Scott Petersen, Chair
Delaina Tonks
Elaine Vickers
Shawn Newell
First Judicial District
Brandon Baxter
Shannon Demler
Jonathan Nash
Janette White, Chair
Joan Liquin
Nancy Kennedy
Ken Hull
Second Judicial District
Phil Ferguson
Pam Vickrey, Chair
Ryan Bushell
Erin Hill
Adrienne Andrews
Neka Roundy
SuAnn Jenkins Harris
Third Judicial District
John Huber, Chair
Patricia Cassell
Marina Tateoka
Fred Lampropolus
Stan Parrish
Liz Halloran
Mayor Debbie Winn
Fourth Judicial District
Shaynie Hunter
John Kwarm
Tyson Skeen, Chair
David Morin
Mary Nielson
Luke Searle
Fifth Judicial District
Maile Wilson, Chair
Erin Waldman
Victoria Carlton
Angie Reddish-Day
Christa Hinton
Kristy Pike
Sixth Judicial District
Jeff Mosdell, Chair
Judy Busk
Judy Habbeshaw
Casey Jewkes
Aaron Peterson
Jared Buhanan
Douglas Neeley
Seventh Judicial District
Britney Ivins, Chair
Dominique Kiahtipes
Kristine Rogers
Brenda Lemon
Kendra Seeley
Ryan Bennally
Greg Funk
Eighth Judicial District
Michael Harrington
Erin Rawlings
Carolyn Perkins
Irene Hansen S
Sonja Norton