When the November ballot comes, in addition to the candidates and initiatives, there are several judges listed for reappointment to the bench. Most voters have some background on candidates so that they can make an informed decision but what about a judge? There’s a system in place for voters to find out the judge’s track record on decisions, procedural fairness and overall legal ability. 

The Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) evaluates judges and makes that available to the general public.

“It’s an independent government commission,” said Mary-Margaret Pingree, executive director of JPEC. “Most regular citizens are not in court to watch a judge first hand. The commission has attorneys, court staff, social workers, etc. who evaluate them by a number rating system.”

The scale is from one to five, she said. “For example the legal ability category. Voters can see their score versus their peers and see what their average is with all other district judges.”

There is also a team of courtroom observers, said Pingree. “They are regular citizens. They’ll watch to see if the judge promotes respect, etc.”

Commission members spend months reading and understanding the data and vote on whether the judge meets the minimum performance standards, she said. “People can go online at judges.utah.gov to see how the citizens rated the judges and to see how the commission voted.”

It’s pretty simple, said Pingree. “You go to the site and put in your county, then ‘find my judge.’ You’ll see a summary paragraph that gives a quick overview. Then if you click on ‘more information’ you'll see a lot of information about that judge.”

Every election cycle there are judges on the ballot, she said. “It is for a six year term. Most judges are evaluated every six years. The Supreme Court is every 10 years.”

Voters have the authority to keep a judge in our not, she said. “People have the opportunity to say if they’re doing a good job and want to keep them for another six years.”

Some people might ask why they should care, Pingree said. “Judges impact our lives in many different ways. It’s more important on the local level. They determine custody, legal matters with businesses, divorce cases, property ownership, etc.”

Learning about the judges helps voters make an informed decision, she said. “It’s your voice that decides whether they remain on the bench.”

It’s a powerful position the voter is in, said Pingree. “It’s important for judges to be held accountable to the people.”