Utah Chief Justice Richard C. Howe reviews court modernization, defends merit selection in final State of the Judiciary address

Chief Justice Richard C. Howe told the Utah Senate that the state judiciary has changed dramatically during his tenure, pointing to technology, new court programs and efforts to improve access to justice.

"Now clerks enter orders into the statewide network computer system and digital audio recordings of court proceedings are automatically stored onto electronically indexed and searchable CDs," Howe said, describing shifts away from handwritten dockets and paper processes. He highlighted programs aimed at unrepresented litigants, including an online court assistance program that generates court forms and the creation of problem‑solving courts — "drug courts and mental health courts where judges become part of a team focused on solving the problem that caused the offender to commit the crime."

Why it matters: Howe framed these changes as efforts to make courts less insular and more responsive to citizens, arguing they build public confidence in the rule of law. He said outreach — community hearings on racial and ethnic fairness, high‑school lecture series and juvenile‑court adoption days — helps demystify the courts and involve citizens in the justice system.

Howe defended Utah's system for selecting judges as a national model. He recounted that a joint resolution adopted by the Legislature in 1943 and approved by voters in 1944 established merit‑based selection, with governors making appointments and the Senate confirming them, followed by retention elections. "The system we have in Utah is undoubtedly the best in the nation," Howe said, calling the measure "the most significant judiciary reform since Utah became a state in 1896." He urged continued cooperation among the three branches of government to preserve an accountable judiciary.

The chief justice also noted the courts' efforts to study and improve access to legal services. He described a legislative‑court study panel that will report next fall on technology, court forms and paraprofessionals as tools to expand legal help for those without attorneys.

Howe closed with gratitude and an acknowledgment that this address would be his last as chief justice. "It has been an honor and privilege to serve the people of this state," he said, thanking colleagues, court staff and his family.

After the address the Senate briefly discussed the remarks and agreed to spread them on the journal. The Committee of the Whole that heard the address was then dissolved and the Senate resumed its calendar.