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John Nielsen
John Nielsen is a judge of the Utah Supreme Court. He assumed office on December 1, 2025. His current term ends on January 6, 2031.
Appointments
Utah Supreme Court (2025-present)
On October 14, 2025, Governor Spencer Cox (R) appointed District Court Judge John Nielsen to the Utah Supreme Court.[1] Nielsen replaces Justice John A. Pearce, who retired on December 1, 2025.[2] Following the announcement of his retirement, Pearce stated he was going to return to private practice and continue teaching at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.[3] Nielsen is Governor Cox's third nominee to the five-member supreme court.
State supreme court judicial selection in Utah
- See also: Judicial selection in Utah
The five justices of the supreme court are selected through assisted appointment. The governor selects a nominee from a list of recommended candidates from a judicial nominating commission. The nominee then must attain approval from the Utah Senate.
New appointees serve for at least three years, after which they must run in a yes-no retention election. If retained, supreme court justices serve subsequent terms of ten years.[4]
Qualifications
To serve on the Utah Supreme Court, a judge must be:
- a citizen of the United States;
- a state resident for at least five years;
- admitted to practice law in the state;
- at least 30 years old; and
- no more than 75 years old.[4]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court is selected by peer vote. The chief justice of the supreme court serves in that capacity for four years.[4]
Vacancies
When a vacancy occurs on the court, the governor appoints a replacement from a list of seven names recommended by a nominating commission. The nominee then must attain approval from the Utah Senate. New appointees serve for at least three years, after which they must run in a yes-no retention election. If retained, supreme court justices serve subsequent terms of ten years.[4]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
|
Officeholder Utah Supreme Court |
Footnotes
- ↑ Governor of Utah - Spencer J. Cox, "Gov. Cox announces appointment of Judge John Nielsen to the Utah Supreme Court," October 14, 2025
- ↑ Supreme Court of the State of Utah, "Chambers of the Associate Chief Justice John A. Pearce," May 30, 2025
- ↑ Utah State Bar, "Associate Chief Justice John A. Pearce Announces Departure from Utah Supreme Court," June 3, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 20, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John A. Pearce |
Utah Supreme Court 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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
