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Utah Senate unanimously confirms two district court judges
Summary
In a special Aug. 3 session, the Utah Senate consented to Governor Gary R. Herbert's appointments of Catherine Bernards Goodman to the Third District Court and Clark McClellan to the Eighth District Court; both were confirmed by unanimous votes of those present.
The Utah Senate, meeting in an extraordinary session Aug. 3, confirmed two judicial nominees submitted by Governor Gary R. Herbert.
The Senate voted 26-0, with three senators absent, to confirm Catherine Bernards Goodman as a judge of the Third District Court and 25-0, with four absent, to confirm Clark McClellan as a judge of the Eighth District Court. Both confirmations followed favorable reports from the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee and were approved on roll call votes.
Scott K. Jenkins, chair of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee, told senators the committee had vetted the nominees and recommended confirmation. "She is well qualified," Jenkins said of Goodman, summarizing the committee's review and positive comments the committee received.
Senator Hilliard formally moved both confirmations on the floor before each roll call. The President announced the vote tallies after each roll call and offered the Senate's congratulations to the newly confirmed judges.
Judge Catherine Bernards Goodman spoke in a Committee of the Whole after her nomination was on the floor. Goodman, who noted two decades as a prosecutor, thanked supporters and outlined priorities she said she would pursue as a judge, including backing specialty courts and participating in an "early case resolution" process intended to move cases through the system more quickly. "And above all to follow the law," Goodman said, pledging to balance victims' rights and efforts to help defendants comply with probation and rehabilitation efforts.
Clark McClellan also addressed the Committee of the Whole; he introduced family and supporters and described the confirmation process as a lengthy job interview. McClellan said he was honored to succeed Judge Aylin Payne in the Eighth District and described his Uinta Basin roots, adding he intended to "follow the law" and serve the community impartially.
Each confirmation was presented in accordance with Article 8, Section 8 of the Utah Constitution and the applicable provisions of the Utah Code cited in the governor's communications. The judges now join their respective district benches; the Senate provided its consent during the special session and adjourned later that day.
