Overview
- In his State of the Judiciary address, Chief Justice Matthew Durrant acknowledged high tensions and asked lawmakers to critique rulings on their merits rather than attacking judges’ motives.
- Durrant sought about $6 million for training and staff retention and requested eight district judges, one juvenile judge, four commissioners, and one to two appellate judges, noting the Supreme Court has essentially no backlog.
- Republican leaders and Gov. Spencer Cox support growing the high court from five to seven justices, with nearly $2.8 million proposed in the governor’s budget to fund the additions.
- Sen. Chris Wilson’s bill to expand the Supreme Court and increase the Court of Appeals to nine judges is set for a Thursday hearing, with backers arguing more judges would speed decisions.
- Democrats and other critics question the timing as court-stacking, pointing to recent rulings on abortion, transgender athletes, citizen initiatives, and redistricting and to December moves shifting chief justice selection to the governor and formally rebuking the courts.