Most people are not following what is happening with Utah’s courts, but they should be. It affects everyone in Utah, regardless of party. An independent judiciary is one of the few safeguards ordinary citizens have when political power overreaches. 

You can read more in an article I wrote here

If courts can be pressured, punished, or reshaped because politicians dislike their rulings, every Utahn should be concerned.

Please read this and contact your elected officials! At the end of this post is contact information and a simple script you can copy, email, or use when calling.

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1. In 2018, Utahns approved Proposition 4, which created the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and banned partisan gerrymandering. 

2. Lawmakers did not like what voters passed. They tried to weaken, undo, or work around it, so the fight ended up in court.

3. The Utah Supreme Court left the lower court’s decision intact, keeping Proposition 4 and a less partisan congressional map in place for the 2026 elections.

As a result, the pressure on the judiciary intensified! Here is how that pressure showed up:

In October 2025, lawmakers changed the rules so the Utah Supreme Court could no longer choose its own chief justice, giving the governor more power over who leads the court. A step in shifting power away from an independent court and toward political actors.

Then lawmakers expanded the Utah Supreme Court from five justices to seven. They said it was about workload. But here is why people are concerned: adding two new seats means two new justices will be chosen through the usual process: a nominating commission recommends, the governor appoints, and the Senate confirms. Another step toward more political influence over a court that is supposed to remain independent.

In Utah, judges periodically appear on the ballot so voters can decide whether to keep them in office. Party leaders urged people to vote Supreme Court justices out after rulings they did not like. Why does that matter? Because judges are supposed to follow the law, not worry that politicians will campaign against them if they make an unpopular ruling. One more step away from an independent judiciary.

Then allegations reportedly found to be “speculative, overstated, and misleading” were leaked to the public. Justice Hagen had followed the proper process, but once the allegations were made public, the damage was done. Her resignation was not proof of wrongdoing. It was the predictable result of accusation itself becoming a political weapon. And just like that, another vacancy appeared on a court already under intense political pressure, creating another opportunity for the court to be reshaped politically.

Taken together, these developments reflect a methodical step-by-step erosion of judicial independence. 

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Script for Call and Letter:

Hello Governor/Representative/Senator [Name],

I am a [Name] a Utah constituent from [city].

I am deeply concerned about growing political pressure on Utah’s judiciary.

Several actions have raised serious concerns about judicial independence: changing the rules so the governor has more power over who leads the Utah Supreme Court, expanding the court from five to seven justices, urging voters to remove justices after unpopular rulings, and the public release of confidential allegations involving Justice Diana Hagen.

Taken together, these actions appear to increase political pressure on a branch of government that is supposed to remain independent.

I am asking you to oppose efforts to politicize, intimidate, or reshape Utah’s courts in response to specific rulings.

Independent courts protect all Utahns, regardless of party.

Thank you.

Governor

Governor Cox 801-538-1000

Legislative leadership

J. Stuart Adams

Mike Schultz 

Find your Utah state senator and Utah House representative here:

https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp