Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 81 First Substitute (2020GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Snow, V. L.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2020

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• expands to all cities and counties authority to initiate a reduction in workforce in a justice court in certain circumstances; and
• expands to all cities and counties a requirement that a new justice court judge position requires approval from the Judicial Council.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

JUDICIAL RETENTION FOR JUSTICE COURT JUDGES
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: V. Lowry Snow
Senate Sponsor: 
Evan J. Vickers
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions related to justice court judges.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ expands to all cities and counties authority to initiate a reduction in workforce in a
justice court in certain circumstances; and
▸ expands to all cities and counties a requirement that a new justice court judge
position requires approval from the Judicial Council.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
78A-7-203
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 429
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
78A-7-203
 is amended to read:
78A-7-203.
Term of office for justice court judge -- Retention -- Reduction in
force -- Addition of a justice court judge position.
(1) The term of a justice court judge is six years beginning the first Monday in January
following the date of election.
(2) Upon the expiration of a justice court judge's term of office, the judge shall be
subject to an unopposed retention election in accordance with the procedures set forth in
Section 
20A-12-201
:
(a) in the county or counties in which the court to which the judge is appointed is
located if the judge is a county justice court judge or a municipal justice court judge in a town
or city of the fourth or fifth class; or
(b) in the municipality in which the court to which the judge is appointed is located if
the judge is a municipal justice court judge and Subsection (2)(a) does not apply.
(3) Before each retention election, each justice court judge shall be evaluated in
accordance with the performance evaluation program established in Chapter 12, Judicial
Performance Evaluation Commission Act.
(4) A [
political subdivision in a county of the first or second class
] 
municipality or
county
 that has more than one justice court judge and the weighted caseload per judge is lower
than 0.60 as determined by the Administrative Office of the Courts may, at the [
political
subdivision's
] 
municipality's or county's
 discretion and at the end of a judge's term of office,
initiate a reduction in force and reduce, lay off, terminate, or eliminate a judge's position
[
pursuant to the political subdivision's
] 
in accordance with the municipality's or county's
employment policies.
(5) A [
political subdivision in a county of the first or second class
] 
municipality or
county
 may only add a new justice court judge position if the Judicial Council, after
considering the caseload of the court, approves creation of the position.