Utah chief justice says courts have cut appellate backlog but juvenile caseloads need resources

Chief Justice Hall delivered the annual state-of-the-judiciary address to the House, reporting major improvements in appellate processing and outlining administrative priorities for the courts.

Hall said the court of appeals and supreme court have markedly reduced their pending case loads: the supreme court's advisory caseload dropped from 210 cases in January 1987 to about 70 at the time of his address, and appellate scheduling and decision publication timelines have shortened substantially. The courts will implement additional automation (including pilot audio-video arraignment programs), pursue collocation of appellate and trial courts to save space and improve access, and continue judicial performance evaluations.

Hall called attention to juvenile courts, noting a 50% increase in filings and a need for additional juvenile judges in Weber, Davis and Morgan counties; audits and the judicial council are recommending an additional judge for those areas. He also described planned reclassification of court clerks to reflect automation, ongoing strategic planning with the State Justice Institute, and a forthcoming April report on gender and justice issues.

The judiciary asked the Legislature to support staffing and modernization proposals to sustain recent gains and to address increased caseloads in specific courts. The address closed with an appeal to the Legislature and governor for continued support for judicial independence and administrative improvement.