Salt Lake City, UT---The Third District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected ten nominees for two upcoming vacancies in the Third Judicial District. The position will replace District Court Judge Timothy Hanson and Judge Dennis Frederick, who have announced their retirements effective Dec. 31, 2006. The Third Judicial District is comprised of Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties.
The nominees are as follows: Patricia S. Cassell, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office; Augustus G. Chin, Salt Lake City, Summit County Attorney's Office; Scott J. Daniels, Salt Lake City, private arbitrator and mediator; Commissioner Michael S. Evans, Salt Lake City, Third District Court; Robert P. Faust, Salt Lake City, attorney, Robert P. Faust, P.C.; Carolyn Nichols, Salt Lake City, Assistant Attorney General; Lisa Remal, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Legal Defender's Association; Paula K. Smith, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office; Kate Toomey, Salt Lake City, deputy counsel, Utah State Bar-Office of Professional Conduct; Vernice S. Trease, Bountiful, Salt Lake Legal Defender's Association.
A 10-day public comment period will be held before the names are submitted to Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. Third District Nominating Commission Chair Larry Lunt is accepting written comments regarding the nominees at Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. The deadline for written comments is August 23, 2006.
The commission may request further interviews or an investigation of the nominees after reviewing public comments. After the public comment period, the names will be sent to the governor who has 30 days to select a candidate. The Governor's nominees are then forwarded to the Senate Confirmation Committee, which reviews the nominee's qualifications and conducts a public hearing and interview session. The Senate Confirmation Committee will forward the final nominees to the Utah State Senate, which has 60 days from the Governor's nomination to confirm the nominees.