This page lists judges appointed by Spencer Cox (R) during his term as Governor of Utah. As of May 2022, the total number of Cox appointees was 1. For the full profile of Cox, click here.
In Utah, the governor makes a judicial appointment after candidates are recommended by a judicial nominating commission. After the governor appoints a judge, she or he must be confirmed by the Utah Senate. Judges then stand for retention in the next general election more than three years after appointment.[1][2]
The tables below list the governor's appointees to the courts across the state. These lists are updated automatically with new appointments.
Name | Court | Active |
---|---|---|
Utah Supreme Court |
Name | Court | Active |
---|---|---|
Utah Court of Appeals |
2021-08-18 - |
Judicial selection in Utah | |
Utah Supreme Court | |
Method: | Governor-controlled commission |
Term: | 10 years |
Utah Court of Appeals | |
Method: | Governor-controlled commission |
Term: | 6 years |
Utah District Courts | |
Method: | Governor-controlled commission |
Term: | 6 years |
Utah Justice Courts | |
Method: | County commission/city official appointment |
Term: | 6 years |
Judicial selection refers to the process used to select judges for courts. At the state level, methods of judicial selection vary substantially in the United States, and in some cases between different court types within a state. There are six primary types of judicial selection: partisan and nonpartisan elections, the Michigan method, assisted appointment, gubernatorial appointment, and legislative elections. To read more about how these selection methods are used across the country, click here.
This article covers how state court judges are selected in Utah, including:
Selection of state court judges in Utah occurs almost exclusively through the Governor-controlled commission. Following an initial three-year term, appointed judges must be approved by voters in yes-no retention elections, after which they may serve full terms that vary in length by court level.[3]
Click here to notify us of changes to judicial selection methods in this state.
Appellate state court selection in the United States, by general selection method[4] |
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State courts and their selection methods across the U.S., including the District of Columbia[4] | |||
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Method | Supreme Court (of 53)[5] | Courts of Appeal (of 46) | Trial Courts (of 147) |
Partisan elections (PE) | 8 | 6 | 39 |
Nonpartisan elections (NPE) | 13 | 16 | 34 |
Legislative elections (LE) | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Gubernatorial appointment of judges (GA) | 5 | 3 | 6 |
Assisted appointment (AA) | 22 | 18 | 46 |
Combination or other | 3[6] | 1[7] | 17[8] |
Demographic data for Utah | ||
---|---|---|
Utah | U.S. | |
Total population: | 2,990,632 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 82,170 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 87.6% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 1.1% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 2.2% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 1.1% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.9% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 13.4% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 91.2% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 31.1% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $60,727 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 12.7% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Utah. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Utah voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
More Utah coverage on Ballotpedia
Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Utah • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Utah
State courts:
Utah Supreme Court • Utah Court of Appeals • Utah District Courts • Utah Juvenile Courts • Utah Justice Courts
State resources:
Courts in Utah • Utah judicial elections • Judicial selection in Utah