Utah Senate unanimously consents to Julie Lund for Third District juvenile court

The Utah Senate consented to Governor Gary R. Herbert’s appointment of Julie Lund as a judge in the Third District juvenile court during its thirteenth extraordinary session on Dec. 3, 2010, voting 25-0 with four senators absent.

The action followed a communication from the governor read into the record that said Lund was appointed on Nov. 9, 2010, and that the Senate judicial confirmation committee would interview her on Dec. 8, 2010. The president cited Article 8, Section 8 of the Utah Constitution, which authorizes the Senate to convene in extraordinary session to consider judicial appointments and requires the Senate to render a decision within 60 days of appointment.

Scott K. Jenkins, chair of the Senate judicial confirmation committee, told the Senate the committee “interviewed and spent a great deal of time with Ms. Lund, and we found her to be bright, intelligent, capable,” and reported that the committee found nothing in her background that would prevent her from fulfilling the duties of the bench. Jenkins submitted the committee’s favorable recommendation to the full Senate.

Senator Hilliard moved to consent to the governor’s appointment. The clerk recorded a roll call showing 25 votes in favor, 0 opposed and 4 absent; the president announced the Senate had consented to the appointment.

Following the vote, the Senate resolved into a Committee of the Whole and invited Judge Julie Lund to speak. Lund said it was “quite an honor to be entrusted with the lives of the children of the state.” The Committee of the Whole was then dissolved and the Senate adjourned.

The official communication and committee report were entered into the record; the transcript identifies Governor Gary R. Herbert’s letter and the committee chair’s recommendation as the basis for the Senate’s action. The appointment’s effective date, case assignment, or term length were not specified in the transcript.