Bill > SB0233

This bill makes several amendments concerning the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC), which is responsible for evaluating judges to inform voters about their performance for retention elections. Key changes include clarifying definitions related to judicial performance standards, specifying when JPEC evaluations are conducted for Supreme Court justices and other judges, and outlining the information considered in these evaluations, with a focus on recent performance. The bill also details the process for courtroom observations, allows judges to respond to their evaluations, and establishes new certification standards for judges based on their timeliness in issuing opinions, particularly for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges. Additionally, it modifies the composition and procedures of the JPEC, including requiring meetings to comply with open meeting laws but allowing for closed sessions to discuss evaluations, with final votes on performance standards to be held in public. The bill also revises the categories of respondents for judicial performance surveys to include individuals who appeared before the judge as a party and clarifies the timing for providing surveys to different respondent groups, while also updating the criteria for evaluating a judge's legal competence, impartiality, communication ability, judicial temperament, and administrative capacity. Finally, it makes changes to the publication of evaluation reports and the effective date of the bill.

Justice

https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/SB0233.html