After adding justices to the Utah Supreme Court and, on Friday, creating a new “constitutional court,” Republicans are continuing their crusade to overhaul the state judiciary.
With the backing of House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, lawmakers are now aiming to require the courts to stream audio of district and juvenile court cases, submit financial disclosures from judges and, among other measures, prevent judges from joining particular law firms after they leave the bench.
The blitz comes after key pieces of the GOP agenda have been dealt defeat after defeat by judges. In December, Republican lawmakers passed a resolution condemning the courts, accusing the state Supreme Court and lower district court judges of judicial activism.
A group of nearly 700 Utah attorneys — calling itself Co-Equal, referring to the co-equal branches of government — sent a letter to lawmakers this week saying the array of bills, if passed, would politicize judicial selection and retention, weaken judicial independence, meddle with court administration and erode trust in the courts.
“Taken together … they represent a significant and unprecedented restructuring of judicial authority, selection, retention, jurisdiction and administration,” the letter said. “This cumulative impact matters.”
On Friday, Gov. Spencer Cox signed the most recent judicial reform bill to become law, creating the new constitutional court: a special three-judge panel that will hear challenges to laws passed by the Legislature.
