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Committee advances bill to add district judge chambered in Bonneville County
Summary
Senate Bill 1029 was recommended for passage after testimony that judges in the Seventh Judicial District travel frequently between courthouses and judges spend substantial time driving to cover cases.
The House Judiciary Committee voted to forward Senate Bill 1029, which would add a district judge chambered in Bonneville County, after hearing that judges in the large, geographically spread Seventh Judicial District are spending extensive time traveling between courthouses.
Representative Dustin Manwaring, sponsor for District 29, said the seventh is the state's largest judicial district geographically and that population increases and travel times have strained judges’ ability to write decisions and keep cases moving. "These judges spend a lot of time writing decisions and they can't write decisions when they're in their car traveling," Manwaring said.
Jason Spillman, legal counsel for the Administrative Office of the Courts, told the committee the Seventh District covers about 22,000 square miles and has six district judges; several judges travel frequently to cover Bonneville County dockets. He estimated the district's judges spend roughly "51 days a year" in aggregate driving between courthouses for regularly scheduled hearings, excluding trial travel.
Spillman also said the Bonneville County commissioners provided a letter of support and acknowledge the county will have to provide space and staff for a chambered judge. The sponsors asked the committee to send the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; Representative Alfieri moved to do so, and the motion carried.
Votes at a glance: Committee moved Senate Bill 1029 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the committee recorded the motion as carried.
Background: The number and chambering of district judge positions are set in statute, and creating a new chambered position requires a statutory change and local coordination for facilities and staff.
