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Utah Chief Justice Durant outlines pandemic-era court changes, asks lawmakers for tech and staffing funds
Summary
Chief Justice Richard Durant told the Utah Senate that the judiciary moved nearly all court operations online during the pandemic, that virtual hearings involved over 400,000 participants, and that the branch seeks roughly $1.935 million ongoing and $10,000 one-time for technology, cybersecurity and outreach.
Chief Justice Richard J. Durant delivered the State of the Judiciary to the Utah Senate, saying the pandemic forced a rapid shift to virtual court operations and highlighted needs the branch will ask the Legislature to fund.
"By mid April we were able to move almost all of the court system online, with all of our courts holding virtual hearings and trials," Durant said. He added that those remote proceedings have involved "over 400,000 individual participants." Durant said appellate and juvenile courts have largely maintained pre-pandemic caseload pace but district courts face…
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