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STATEUtah · May 29, 2026

Nominees Announced for Utah Supreme Court Vacancies

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The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for two Utah Supreme Court vacancies created by the Legislature during the 2026 Legislative Session.

The Bottom Line

The governor will appoint from the list of nominees, subject to Utah Senate confirmation, after a public comment period.

Highlights

  • The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for two vacancies on the Utah Supreme Court.
  • The nominees include Christopher Ballard, Christopher Bates, Matthew Bates, Matthew Bell, Samuel Chiara, Stephen Dent, William Hains, Jay Jorgensen, Derek Pullan, Stanford Purser, Eldred Rawson, and Ryan Tenney.
  • Written comments can be submitted to the Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330 by noon May 10, 2026.
  • After the public comment period, the names will be sent to Gov. Spencer J. Cox, who will have 30 days to make the appointments.
  • Gov. Cox’s appointees are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

Key Numbers

No specific figures in the source.

Source Verification

Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission | state | press release

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Source receipt

✓ Quote-grounded
Utah Governor Press Releases
https://governor.utah.gov/press/nominees-announced-for-two-utah-supreme-court-vacancies
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Quoted passages this brief is built from (4)
  • "The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for two vacancies on the Utah Supreme Court. These positions were created by the Legislature during the 2026 Legislative Session."
    — paragraph 1
  • "The nominees for the vacancies are: Christopher Ballard, General Counsel and Chief of Staff, Utah County Attorney’s Office; Christopher Bates, Shareholder, Kirton McConkie; Matthew Bates, Judge, Third District Court; Matthew Bell, Judge, Fifth District Court; Samuel Chiara, Judge, Eighth District Court; Stephen Dent, Assistant United States Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office; William Hains, Deputy Division Director, Criminal Appeals, Office of the Attorney General; Jay Jorgensen, Senior Counsel, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Derek Pullan, Judge, Fourth District Court; Stanford Purser, Solicitor General, Office of the Attorney General; Eldred Rawson, Judge, Second District Court; Ryan Tenney, Judge, Utah Court of Appeals."
    — paragraph 2
  • "Written comments can be submitted to the Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330. The deadline for written comments is noon May 10, 2026."
    — paragraph 3
  • "After the public comment period, the names will be sent to Gov. Spencer J. Cox, who will have 30 days to make the appointments. Gov. Cox’s appointees are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate."
    — paragraph 3