United States District Court for the District of Utah

District of Utah
Tenth Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 5
Judges: 5
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: Robert Shelby
Active judges: Ann Marie McIff Allen, David Barlow, Howard Nielson, Jill N. Parrish, Robert James Shelby Senior judges: Tena Campbell, Dale Kimball, David Nuffer, David Sam, Brian Stewart, Clark Waddoups

The United States District Court for the District of Utah is one of 94 United States district courts. The court is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with another courtroom in Ogden, Utah. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based in downtown Denver, Colorado, at the Byron White Federal Courthouse.

Vacancies

See also: Current federal judicial vacancies

There are no current vacancies on the United States District Court for the District of Utah, out of the court's five judicial positions.

Pending nominations

There are no pending nominees for this court.

Active judges

Article III judges

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Robert James Shelby	Barack Obama (D)	September 25, 2012 -	Utah State Univ., 1944	University of Virginia School of Law, 1948
Jill N. Parrish	Barack Obama (D)	August 17, 2015 -	Weber State College, 1982	Yale Law School, 1985
Howard Nielson	Donald Trump (R)	June 12, 2019 -	Brigham Young University, 1992	University of Chicago Law School, 1997
David Barlow	Donald Trump (R)	January 6, 2020 -	Brigham Young University, 1995	Yale Law School, 1998
Ann Marie McIff Allen	Joe Biden (D)	April 12, 2024 -	Brigham Young University, 1994	Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School, 1997

Active Article III judges by appointing political party

The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democrat appointed: 3
• Republican appointed: 2

Senior judges

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
David Sam	Ronald Reagan (R)	November 1, 1999 -	Brigham Young University, 1957	University of Utah College of Law, 1960
Dale Kimball	Bill Clinton (D)	November 30, 2009 -	Brigham Young University, 1964	University of Utah College of Law, 1967
Tena Campbell	Bill Clinton (D)	January 1, 2011 -	University of Idaho, 1967	Arizona State University Law School, 1977
Brian Stewart	Bill Clinton (D)	September 1, 2014 -	Utah State University, 1972	University of Utah Law, 1975
Clark Waddoups	George W. Bush	January 31, 2019 -	Brigham Young University, 1970	University of Utah Law, 1973
David Nuffer	Barack Obama (D)	April 2, 2022 -	Brigham Young University, 1975	Brigham Young University Law School, 1978

Senior judges by appointing political party

The list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democrat appointed: 4
• Republican appointed: 1

Magistrate judges

Federal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve in United States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years.

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Dustin B. Pead		August 20, 2012 -	University of Utah, 1995	University of Miami Law, 1998
Paul Kohler		March 18, 2019 -	Brigham Young University, 1995	Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School, 1998
Cecilia Romero		June 1, 2019 -	University of Utah, 1998	University of Utah College of Law, 2002
Daphne A. Oberg		May 1, 2020 -	Westminster College	University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, 2006
Jared C. Bennett		June 1, 2020 -	University of Utah	University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, 2001

Former chief judges

In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.

In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.

The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.

Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.

On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the president of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.

David Nuffer - (2014 - 2018) Brian Stewart - (2011 - 2014) Tena Campbell - (2006 - 2011) Dee Benson - (1999 - 2006) David Sam - (1997 - 1999)

David Winder - (1993 - 1997) Bruce Jenkins - (1984 - 1993) Aldon Anderson - (1978 - 1984) Willis Ritter - (1954 - 1978)

Former judges

For more information on the judges of the District of Utah, see former federal judges of the District of Utah.

Jurisdiction

The Counties of Utah (click for larger map)

The District of Utah has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

There are two court divisions, each covering the following counties:

The Central Division, covering Beaver, Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, and Wayne counties

The Northern Division, covering Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Morgan, Rich, and Weber counties

Caseloads

This section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in September 2024.

Click [show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.

Caseload statistics explanation
Term	Explanation
Cases filed and terminated	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated or decided by the court in a calendar year. The chart below reflects the table columns Cases filed and Cases terminated.
Average time from filing to disposition	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to date of disposition (acquittal, sentencing, dismissal, etc.). The chart below reflects the table columns Median time (Criminal) and Median time (Civil).
Starting case load	The number of cases pending from the previous calendar year.
Cases filed	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated in a calendar year.
Cases terminated	The total number of civil and criminal lawsuits decided by the court in a calendar year.
Remaining cases	The number of civil and criminal cases pending at the end of a given year.
Median time (Criminal)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. In criminal cases, the date of disposition occurs on the day of sentencing or acquittal/dismissal.
Median time (Civil)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition.
Three-year civil cases	The number and percent of civil cases that were filed more than three years before the end of the given calendar year.
Vacant posts	The number of months during the year an authorized judgeship was vacant.
Trial/Post	The number of trials completed divided by the number of authorized judgeships on the court. Trials include evidentiary trials, hearings on temporary restraining orders, and preliminary injunctions.
Source: United States Courts, "Explanation of the Judicial Caseload Profiles for United States District Courts," accessed September 25, 2018

United States District Court for the District of Utah caseload stats, 2010-2023
Year	Cases Filed	Cases Terminated	Cases Pending	Number of Judgeships	Vacant Judgeship Months	Average Total Filings per Judgeship	Trials Completed per Judgeship	Median time from filing to disposition, criminal	Median time from filing to disposition, civil	Three-year civil cases (#)	Three-year civil cases (%)
2010	2,753	2,654	2,413	5	12	551	18	6	8	130	8
2011	2,413	2,585	2,085	5	24	483	22	5	9	135	8
2012	2,473	2,475	2,266	5	11	495	20	8	11	134	8
2013	2,328	2,365	2,241	5	0	466	23	7	12	102	6
2014	1,950	2,175	2,017	5	10	390	13	7	11	117	8
2015	2,109	2,046	2,083	5	14	422	14	5	12	144	10
2016	2,443	2,170	2,331	5	0	489	15	7	10	161	9
2017	2,623	2,517	2,399	5	12	525	16	6	8	151	9
2018	2,364	2,394	2,346	5	12	473	13	7	10	155	10
2019	2,388	2,157	2,553	5	15	478	9	8	10	210	12
2020	2,212	2,019	2,721	5	0	442	7	8	12	219	12
2021	2,193	2,239	2,651	5	0	439	7	10	12	226	14
2022	2,226	2,299	2,576	5	9	445	10	11	12	241	16
2023	2,259	2,304	2,501	5	12	452	9	12	10	228	16
Average	2,338	2,314	2,370	5	9	468	14	8	10	168	10

History

Court history

The District of Utah was established by Congress on July 16, 1894, with one post to cover the entire state. Over time, four additional judicial posts were added for a total of five current posts.

Judicial posts

The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the District of Utah:

Year	Statute	Total Seats
July 16, 1894	28 Stat. 107	1
February 10, 1954	68 Stat. 8	2(Temporary)
May 19, 1961	75 Stat. 80	2(Made Permanent)
October 20, 1978	92 Stat. 1629	3
July 10, 1984	98 Stat. 333	4
December 1, 1990	104 Stat. 5089	5

Noteworthy cases

For a searchable list of opinions, please see Opinions for the District of Utah.

• Mistrial declared after defendant shot dead in court (2014)      Judge(s):Tena Campbell (U.S. v. Angilau, 2:08-CR-00758-TC-DBP)	Click for summary→
On April 21, 2014, Senior Judge Tena Campbell declared a mistrial in the government's case against Siale Angilau following his shooting by a U.S. Marshal inside her courtroom. Angilau, an alleged member of the Tongan Crips gang, was indicted in 2010. He was the last of the accused gang members standing trial for his alleged participation in crimes that occurred across the state of Utah, including carjackings, assault, robberies, and shootings. Prior to being shot, Angilau, unshackled at the time, reportedly grabbed a sharp object -- likely a pen or pencil -- and rushed the cooperating witness testifying on the stand in "an aggressive, threatening manner." In early April 2014, Angilau's attorney filed a motion to exclude testimony of the cooperating witness whom his client attempted to attack. Angilau was shot in the chest several times as jurors looked on. The jurors were "visibly shaken and upset," and because Campbell believed the shooting would "deprive [Angilau] of a fair trial," she declared a mistrial in the case. Angilau was pronounced dead at the hospital following Campbell's ruling.

• Utah's ban on same-sex marriage overturned (2013)      Judge(s):Robert Shelby (Kitchen, et al v. Herbert, et al, 2:13-cv-217)	Click for summary→
On December 20, 2013, Judge Robert Shelby struck down Utah's ban on same-sex marriage, declaring the statute unconstitutional. In the underlying case, three gay and lesbian couples filed suit on March 23, 2013, claiming that the state's voter-approved ballot referendum prohibiting same-sex marriage, as well as the state's failure to recognize same-sex marriages performed outside its boundaries, infringed upon their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. On December 4, 2013, Shelby heard oral arguments on the case, where attorneys for the state defended its ban on same-sex marriage by offering evidence of Utah's interest in "responsible procreation" and an "optimal mode of child-rearing." Attorneys for the plaintiffs countered by arguing that choice of marriage partner is a constitutionally protected liberty interest. Two weeks later, Shelby struck down Utah's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, finding that it "demean[ed] the dignity of ... same-sex couples for no rational reason." On December 22, 2013, Utah filed an appeal of Shelby's ruling with the Tenth Circuit, along with a request for an emergency stay of Shelby's ruling to halt same-sex marriages pending the appeal. On December 24, 2013, the Tenth Circuit denied the stay. On December 31, 2013, Utah filed an emergency application for a stay of Shelby's ruling with the Supreme Court, where Justice Sonia Sotomayor is designated to handle such requests from states within the Tenth Circuit's jurisdiction. Gay marriage supporters asked that Sotomayor refuse to uphold Utah's ban, but on January 6, 2014, after she referred the matter to all nine justices of the high court, the Supreme Court blocked Shelby's decision pending the resolution of Utah's appeal. The Supreme Court's order is available here. On January 8, 2014, Utah announced that it would not recognize any of the same-sex marriages that were performed prior to the date the Supreme Court issued its stay, thus putting the unions into legal limbo.

• FLDS property trust case (2011)      Judge(s):Dee Benson	Click for summary→
In 2005, the State of Utah took control of the FLDS Church’s United Effort Plan Trust because of allegations of mismanagement by sect leader Warren Jeffs. In February 2011, Judge Benson ruled that the State’s takeover was unconstitutional, and violated the group’s First Amendment rights to practice its religion. On April 8, Benson’s decision gave back temporary control to the FLDS Church. His decision made it the first time since 2005 that the polygamous sect would control the $110 million trust that holds most of the land, homes, and businesses in Colorado City, Arizona and Hilldale, Utah, as well as some Canadian properties. Third District Judge Denise Lindberg issued an order saying the state would maintain control over the trust, and ordered Bruce Wisan, the man overseeing the trust for the state, to resist the federal order. Lindberg told the federal court that returning the control back to the church would “cause irreparable harm to those who, directly or indirectly, have relied on the decisions of the state court over the nearly six years that Judge Lindberg has overseen the trust at issue.” As a result, Judge Benson ordered Judge Lindberg to appear in his courtroom on April 15. He wanted an explanation of her decision to advise the trust administrator of the FLDS not to comply with Benson's federal order, which would give the group temporary control of a property trust. Judge Lindberg refused, leading Judge Benson to threaten to use the U.S. Marshals to haul her into his courtroom.

About United States District Courts

The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. There are 94 such courts. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity.

There is a United States bankruptcy court and a number of bankruptcy judges associated with each United States district court. Each federal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and most districts have more than one.

There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. District courts in three insular areas—the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—exercise the same jurisdiction as U.S. district courts. Despite their name, these courts are technically not District Courts of the United States. Judges on these territorial courts do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the Constitution, and serve terms of 10 years rather than for life.

There are 677 U.S. District Court judgeships.

The number of federal district judge positions is set by the U.S. Congress in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133, which authorizes a set number of judge positions, or judgeships, making changes and adjustments in these numbers from time to time.

In order to relieve the pressure of trying the hundreds of thousands of cases brought before the federal district courts each year, many trials are tried by juries, along with a presiding judge.

Appointments by president

The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through September 1 of the fourth year of each president's term in office. At this point in the term, President Bill Clinton had the most district court appointments with 169.

Judges by district

See also: Judicial vacancies in federal courts

The table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before the United States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday.

Judicial selection

The district courts are served by Article III federal judges who are appointed for life during "good behavior." They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United States makes the appointments, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.

Step	A Candidacy Proceeds	A Candidacy Halts
1. Recommendation made by Congress Member to the President	President Nominates to Senate Judiciary Committee	President Declines Nomination
2. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews Candidate	Sends candidate to Senate for confirmation	Returns candidate to President, who may re-nominate to Committee
3. Senate votes on candidate confirmation	Candidate becomes federal judge	Candidate does not receive judgeship

Magistrate judges

The district courts are also served by magistrate judges. Congress created the judicial office of federal magistrate in 1968. In 1990, the position title was changed to magistrate judge. The chief judge of each district appoints one or more magistrate judges, who discharge many of the ancillary duties of district judges so judges can handle more trials. There are both full-time and part-time magistrate judge positions, and these positions are assigned to the district courts according to caseload criteria (subject to funding by Congress). A full-time magistrate judge serves a term of eight years; a part-time magistrate judge's term of office is four years.

See also

• United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit

• District of Colorado
• District of Kansas
• District of New Mexico
• Eastern District of Oklahoma
• Northern District of Oklahoma
• Western District of Oklahoma
• District of Utah
• District of Wyoming

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• United States District Court for the District of Utah Official Website