Utah Supreme Court Decisions

The Utah Supreme Court originates from a territorial supreme court that existed before Utah became a state. It holds the authority to issue extraordinary writs, and it has original jurisdiction to answer questions regarding Utah law that have been certified from federal courts. The Court may review a decision in any civil case except for a family law matter, and it may review decisions by certain state administrative agencies, but it may review only criminal cases that involve convictions of first-degree felonies or capital felonies. It holds the authority to resolve questions related to constitutional law or the election process, and it may review a case decided by the Utah Court of Appeals if it arrives at the Supreme Court through a writ of certiorari.

To serve on the Utah Supreme Court, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 30 years old and has been a resident of the state for at least five years. They must have been admitted to practice law in Utah. When a vacancy arises, the appellate judicial nominating commission will develop a list of five to seven nominees to submit to the Governor of Utah. The commission consists of eight members, all of whom are appointed by the Governor except for the Chief Justice or their representative. This last member does not vote in the decisions of the commission.

After receiving the list, the Governor must choose a nominee within 30 days, or otherwise the Chief Justice will appoint the new justice. The Utah Senate then has 60 days to confirm or reject the nominee. Each of the five justices on the Court serves a 10-year term, but the Chief Justice and the Associate Chief Justice serve in those capacities for shorter periods. While the Chief Justice serves for four years, the Associate Chief Justice serves for only two years.

Browse Opinions From the Utah Supreme Court

Recent Decisions From the Utah Supreme Court
State v. Rippey  
Date: December 27, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 45
Docket Number: 20200917

Justia Opinion Summary: Stephen Rippey pled guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and one count of object rape of a child. He was sentenced to two concurrent prison terms of fifteen years to life. Ten years after his…

State v. Torres-Orellana  
Date: December 27, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 46
Docket Number: 20210634

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves William Torres, who was convicted by a jury of one count of rape. The district court had concerns about the performance of Torres's trial counsel and appointed post-trial counsel to investigate…

Mariani v. Driver License Division  
Date: December 19, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 44
Docket Number: 20230702

Justia Opinion Summary: Randi Mariani crashed her motor scooter and sustained a serious injury during a driving skills test, which she was taking to obtain a motorcycle endorsement to her driver license. Following the crash, the Utah Department…

Magleby v. Schnibbe  
Date: December 12, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 43
Docket Number: 20230524

Justia Opinion Summary: Erik Schnibbe, an attorney, worked at the law firm of Magleby, Cataxinos, and Greenwood. After a client of the firm won a large damages award, the firm paid Schnibbe $1 million for his share of the contingency fee via…

Montes v. National Buick GMC  
Date: December 12, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 42
Docket Number: 20230582

Justia Opinion Summary: A customer, Davie Montes, purchased a used car from National Buick GMC (National) and signed two agreements: a Purchase Agreement and an Arbitration Agreement. The Purchase Agreement included an integration clause…

State v. Felts  
Date: November 29, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 41
Docket Number: 20230654

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2015, Michael Jerry Felts pled guilty to assaulting a police officer and failing to stop at the command of police. The State sought restitution for damage to a police vehicle during the pursuit. The district court…

League of Women Voters v. Utah State Legislature  
Date: October 24, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 40
Docket Number: 20240965

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over a proposed constitutional amendment in Utah, referred to as Amendment D. The amendment, proposed by the Utah State Legislature, seeks to change the state constitution in three significant…

Hideout v. Summit County  
Date: October 10, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 39
Docket Number: 20220573

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2020, Utah law temporarily allowed municipalities to annex unincorporated areas without a petition or county consent. During this period, the Town of Hideout annexed land in Summit County. After receiving a…

State v. Willden  
Date: September 5, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 37
Docket Number: 20220747

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2021, Derek Willden was charged with multiple counts of physical and sexual assault. During trial preparations, the State requested that Willden disclose certain information under Utah Rule of Criminal Procedure…

Bingham v. Gourley  
Date: September 5, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 38
Docket Number: 20230436

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Tiffany Bingham challenged the constitutionality of the Utah Health Care Malpractice Act’s four-year statute of repose after her medical malpractice claim against Dr. George C. Gourley and Dr. McKay L.…

State v. Chadwick  
Date: August 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 34
Docket Number: 20190818

Justia Opinion Summary: A plaintiff filed a lawsuit against a defendant, alleging that the defendant's negligence caused a car accident resulting in significant injuries. The plaintiff claimed that the defendant ran a red light and collided…

State v. Baugh  
Date: August 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 33
Docket Number: 20220272

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2018, Brevan Bringhurst Baugh was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. The prosecution presented evidence of three instances of alleged abuse, distinguished by location, while the charges…

Lyman v. Cox  
Date: August 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 35
Docket Number: 20240824

Justia Opinion Summary: Phil Lyman sought extraordinary relief from the Utah Supreme Court regarding the 2024 primary election for the Utah Republican Party. He requested the court annul the primary election results and certify him as the…

Jenkins v. Beaver County  
Date: August 15, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 36
Docket Number: 20250815

Justia Opinion Summary: Colby Jenkins contested the results of the 2024 primary election for the Utah Republican Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Utah’s Second Congressional District. After a recount, election officials…

Sports Medicine Research v. Tax Commission  
Date: August 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 UT 29
Docket Number: 20220786

Justia Opinion Summary: A nonprofit entity, Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (Sports Medicine), sought a property tax exemption for its South Jordan facility, claiming it was used exclusively for charitable purposes. Sports…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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