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House OKs one-year pilot to require audio recordings in justice courts
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 318 unanimously, directing municipal courts to install digital audio recording devices for a one‑year pilot to aid conduct investigations and evaluations; lawmakers debated whether video should be included and whether recordings would be public records.
The Utah House voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 318, requiring municipal justice courts to install digital audio recording devices for a one-year trial. Representative Oda, the House sponsor, said the trial aims to provide objective records to the Judicial Evaluation Commission and others so that complaints and conduct reviews can rely less on anecdote.
Floor questions focused on scope and cost. Representative Hutchins asked why the bill specified audio rather than video; proponents said audio is less expensive, easier for smaller rural courts to implement, and sufficient to evaluate conduct in many cases. Representative Perry asked whether recordings would be public records and whether installing recording equipment risks making justice courts "courts of record." The sponsor said the purpose was to provide records for evaluation and did not necessarily convert justice courts into full courts of record; public-record status and further details could be addressed later.
The House passed SB318 by voice and recorded tally (66 yes, 0 no). The sponsor said the pilot could be expanded in future years if it proved useful.
Vote: SB318 — passed in the House, 66 yes, 0 no.
Ending: The bill will be sent back to the Senate for signature; the House emphasized the pilot's limited scope and the opportunity to revisit video or access questions in future sessions.
