Utah chief justice urges courts' focus on foster care, mental-health pilots and transparency

SALT LAKE CITY — Chief Justice Durham told the Utah Senate on Jan. 16 that the judicial branch will press ahead on improvements to foster-care supports, expand problem-solving courts and adopt clearer performance measures to build public trust in the courts.

Durham opened his State of the Judiciary remarks by framing the courts' work within the broader promise of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, and he cited international interest in Utah's court structure. "When our visitors were asked what most impressed them about what they saw when they visited Utah, the response was that we are an example of courts doing business in the open," he said.

The court is convening cross-sector efforts aimed at children in foster care through an initiative Durham called IOU…