Overview
- Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant announced on Friday that he will retire from the Utah Supreme Court effective Aug. 31, ending 26 years on the bench and 14 years as chief justice.
- Durrant is credited with driving modernization of Utah courts, expanding technology and access-to-justice efforts, and creating the Office of Fairness and Accountability.
- Because the Legislature this year increased the court to seven seats and Justice Diana Hagen resigned earlier in May, Governor Spencer Cox now has four vacancies to fill on the high court.
- Hagen stepped down after reporting raised questions about an inappropriate relationship with a lawyer involved in the state’s redistricting lawsuit, a development that has added scrutiny to the current round of appointments.
- Next steps to watch include Cox’s nominations, Utah Senate confirmation hearings, and how the new justices could affect decisions on issues such as redistricting and abortion as the court’s composition changes.