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Senate approves reallocation plan to shift juvenile judge funding to district court seat
Summary
Senate Bill 66 would reallocate a juvenile court judge vacancy in the Third District to fund a new district court judge in the Fifth District; sponsor said the change costs the state nothing and addresses shifting caseloads.
SALT LAKE CITY — Senate Bill 66, backed by the Administrative Office of the Courts, would repurpose funding from an anticipated juvenile court judge retirement in the Third District and use those dollars to create a district court judgeship in the Fifth District (the St. George area), Senator Todd Wyler said on the Senate floor.
Wyler told the Senate that juvenile caseloads have fallen under the courts’ workload formula while district court workloads have risen, and the bill would reallocate an existing funded position rather than increase overall judge counts or cost taxpayers additional money. "It's just kind of a one-time bill," he said, explaining the anticipated retirement and local needs.
There was no extended debate on the floor; the motion to read the bill for a third time passed by roll call (26–0, 3 absent). Senators indicated support for reallocating judicial resources where workloads justify them, and the bill will be transmitted to the House for further consideration.
Next steps: SB66 proceeds to the House for committee assignment and review by the full Legislature.
