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Judges appointed by Spencer Cox
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This page lists judges appointed by Spencer Cox (R) during his term as Governor of Utah. As of today, the total number of Cox appointees was 11. For the full profile of Cox, click here.
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population. Some Utah judges are outside of that coverage scope. As a result, this page does not provide an exhaustive list of all judges appointed by Gov. Cox.
Appointment process
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]
Appointed judges
The tables below list the governor's appointees to the courts across the state. These lists are updated automatically with new appointments.
State Courts
Supreme Court
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Utah Supreme Court |
August 17, 2022 - Present |
|
|
Utah Supreme Court |
May 18, 2022 - Present |
Court of Appeals
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Utah Court of Appeals |
October 28, 2022 - Present |
|
|
Utah Court of Appeals |
August 18, 2021 - Present |
|
|
Utah Court of Appeals |
February 17, 2023 - Present |
Local Courts
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Utah Eighth Judicial District |
2021 - Present |
|
|
Utah Fourth Judicial District |
2021 - Present |
|
|
Utah Second Judicial District |
||
|
Utah Third Judicial District |
August 1, 2021 - February 17, 2023 |
|
|
Utah Third Judicial District Juvenile Court |
2021 - Present |
|
|
Utah Third Judicial District Juvenile Court |
Judicial selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Utah
| Judicial selection in Utah | |
 | |
| Utah Supreme Court | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | 10 years |
| Utah Court of Appeals | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Utah District Courts | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | 6 years |
| Utah Justice Courts | |
| Method: | Municipal government selection |
| 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:
As of April 2025, the selection of state court judges in Utah occurs almost exclusively through the assisted appointment method. 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] |
|---|
|
|
| State courts and their selection methods across the U.S., including the District of Columbia[4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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] |
State profile
| 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. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Utah
Utah voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Utah coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Utah
- United States congressional delegations from Utah
- Public policy in Utah
- Endorsers in Utah
- Utah fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Utah," archived October 6, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Utah; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 20, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection," archived February 2, 2015
- ↑ Both Oklahoma and Texas have two state supreme courts: one for civil matters and one for criminal matters.
- ↑ Michigan and Ohio use nonpartisan general elections with candidates selected through partisan primaries or conventions. In the District of Columbia, judges are selected in the same manner as federal judges.
- ↑ Judges of the North Dakota Court of Appeals are appointed on an as-needed basis by the supreme court justices.
- ↑ Most courts that use combination/alternative methods (for example, mayoral appointment) are local level courts. These courts are often governed by selection guidelines that are unique to their specific region.
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
