Salt Lake City, UT---The Administrative Office of the Courts has announced that the Utah State Courts will remain open on Fridays for business. The Utah State Court system includes juvenile courts, district courts, and appellate courts, including the Utah Court of Appeals and the Utah Supreme Court. Justice courts throughout the state, which are administered by cities and counties, will also remain open on Friday.
“The state courts are very supportive of Governor Huntsman’s initiative to conserve energy and improve air quality,” said Utah State Court Administrator Dan Becker. “Like certain other functions of state government, the courts must remain accessible Monday through Friday to ensure compliance with statutory time frames for required criminal and juvenile proceedings.” Court rules require the courts to be open for business Monday through Friday.
While the state courts will remain open on Fridays, individual employees whose jobs allow flexible scheduling are permitted to work a shortened work week. Becker noted that the state courts have and will continue to implement policies, procedures, and systems that will compliment the Governor’s energy reduction efforts.
Becker encouraged attorneys, law enforcement, and the public to use the court’s online resources at www.utcourts.gov to save trips to the courthouse in order to save energy and improve air quality. Advances in remote electronic payment, electronic filing of court documents, and remote conferencing for select hearings will soon be available on the court’s website.