Utah Bar Journal

01/11/2023

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Judge Amy J. Oliver to the Utah State Court of Appeals. Judicial appointments are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

“Judge Oliver’s deep knowledge and experience have prepared her well to take on this new role on the Court of Appeals,” Gov. Cox said. “I know she will serve the state with great passion and professionalism.”

Judge Oliver has served on the Third District Court bench since 2021, covering Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties. Prior to that, she served as an assistant director in the Salt Lake Regional Office for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as senior trial counsel for the Division of Enforcement. She has also served as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Utah criminal division.

12/21/2022

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has nominated Jay Winward to the Fifth District Court, filling the vacancy created by Judge Jeffrey Wilcox's retirement. Winward's nomination requires confirmation by the Utah Senate. “Jay Winward will bring great knowledge and experience to the Fifth District bench,” Gov. Cox said. “I am pleased he’s willing to take on this new responsibility and know he will serve the people of southern Utah well.” Currently, Winward is a prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah. During his time there, he received the St. George Police Department Chief’s Award. Prior to his current role, he worked as a partner at Winward Law where he represented clients in federal,state, and municipal criminal cases, domestic and family law, commercial litigation, business transactions, and real property. Prior to that, he was an attorney at Mitchell & Forest, working in all aspects of a civil litigation practice.

12/13/2022

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has named Coral Sanchez to fill the Third District Court vacancy left by Judge Su Chon's retirement. Sanchez’s nomination requires confirmation by the Utah Senate.

“Coral Sanchez brings a wealth of experience to the bench,” Gov. Cox said. “The people of Utah will benefit from her expertise and we appreciate her interest in serving our community in this new role.”

Currently, Sanchez serves as the Davis County Attorney’s Office division chief supervising the Special Victims Unit. In addition, she supervises the director of the Children’s Justice Center in Davis County and acts as a liaison between the County Attorney, County Commission, and Attorney General’s Office with respect to budgetary and operational issues related to the Children’s Justice Center.

“I am deeply grateful to Gov. Cox for the confidence he has placed in me,” Sanchez said. “If confirmed by the Utah Senate, I will endeavor to serve the people of this state with integrity, respect, fairness, and fidelity to the law.”

12/08/2022

The Second District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for a vacancy on the Second District Court. This position results from the retirement of Judge David M. Connors, March 16, 2023.

The nominees for the vacancy are: Cara Baldwin, General Counsel, R-Zero Systems, Inc.; Catherine Conklin, Commissioner, Second District Court; Joseph Kjar, Attorney, Fabian VanCott; Bryan Memmott, Judge, Plain City Justice Court, Woods Cross Justice Court, South Ogden Justice Court, South Weber Justice Court; Jason Nelson, Deputy County Attorney, Davis County Attorney’s Office.

Written comments can be submitted to the Second District Judicial Nominating Commission at
[email protected] or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330. The deadline for written comments is noon Dec. 19, 2022. The
Nominating Commission may request further information or conduct an investigation of the nominees after reviewing public comments. After the public comment period, the names will be sent to Gov. Spencer J. Cox, who will have 30 days to make an appointment. Gov. Cox’s appointee is subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

11/17/2022

Two Utah judicial nominating commissions have presented names to Governor Spencer J. Cox to fill vacancies on Utah’s Third District Court and the Court of Appeals.

The Third District Judicial Nominating Commission has announced nominees to replace Judge Su J. Chon, who retires November 25.

The nominees for the vacancy are: Darcy Goddard, chief policy advisor/deputy district attorney, Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office; Kyle Kaiser, assistant attorney, Utah Attorney General’s Office; Amanda Montague, assistant attorney, Utah Attorney General’s Office; Coral Sanchez, division chief, Davis County Attorney’s Office; Charles Stormont, director of right of way and property management, Utah Department of Transportation.

And Utah’s Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has submitted names for a vacancy on the Utah Court of Appeals to replace Justice Jill Pohlman, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court.

The nominees for the vacancy are: Rita Cornish, Judge, Second District Court; William Hains, Assistant Solicitor General, Utah Attorney General’s Office; Debra Nelson, Chief Appellate Officer, Indigent Appellate Defense Division; Amy Oliver, Judge, Third District Court; Samantha Slark, Senior Attorney, Salt Lake City Corporation; Jennifer Valencia, Judge, Second
District Court; Dallas Young, Attorney, Utah County Public Defender Association.

Written comments can be submitted to the Third District Judicial Nominating Commission or the Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission at [email protected] or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330. The deadline for written comments is noon on Nov. 21, 2022. TheNominating Commission may request further information or conduct an investigation of the nominees after reviewing public comments. After the public comment period, the names will be sent to Gov. Spencer J. Cox, who will have 30 days to make an appointment. Gov. Cox’s appointees are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

06/28/2022

05/20/2022

Nominees announced for the Utah Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Thomas Lee. Nominees are: Matthew Bates, judge, Third District Court; James Gardner, judge,Third District Court; Dianna Gibson, judge, Third District Court; Ryan Harris, judge, Utah Court of Appeals; Clemens Landau, judge, Salt Lake City Justice Court; Carolina Nunez, professor, BYU Law School; Jill Pohlman, judge, Utah Court of Appeals. Read the full release:http://www.utahbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Press-Release-Supreme-Court-Lee-Vacancy70.pdf

03/29/2022

Utah has the best judiciary in the country, and today we were honored to nominate Judge Diana Hagen to the state's Supreme Court.

Judge Hagen is one of the best people you’ll ever meet. She's eminently qualified and is the right person for the job.

02/28/2022

https://governor.utah.gov/2022/02/28/nominees-announced-for-utah-supreme-court-vacancy/

SALT LAKE CITY – The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for a vacancy on the Utah Supreme Court.  The vacancy results from the retirement of Justice Constandinos Himonas, March 1, 2022. The nominees for the vacancy are: Jennifer Brown, judge, Fourth District Court; Dia...

02/11/2022

01/20/2022

Utah Supreme Court Justice Thomas Lee stepping down in July.http://www.utahbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Justice-Lee-Retirement.pdf

01/03/2022

COVER OF THE YEAR!!

The winner of the Utah Bar Journal Cover of the Year award for 2021 is "Bryce Canyon National Park in Winter," taken by Utah State Bar member Jeffrey Hall. Hall’s photo appeared on the cover of the Jan/Feb 2021 issue. Congratulations to Mr. Hall, and thank you to all of the contributors who have shared their photographs of Utah on Bar Journal covers over the past thirty-four years!

The Bar Journal editors encourage members of the Utah State Bar or Paralegal Division, who are interested in having photographs they have taken of Utah scenes published on the cover of the Utah Bar Journal, to submit their photographs for consideration. Look for submission guidelines within the first few pages of any Utah Bar Journal.

01/01/2022