There are two court divisions, each covering the following counties: These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. The District of Utah has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. The Counties of Utah (click for larger map) įor more information on the judges of the District of Utah, see former federal judges of the District of Utah. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the President of the United States. Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.
No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge. In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.įederal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve in United States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. The list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. Senior judges by appointing political party It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.Īrizona State University Law School, 1977īrigham Young University Law School, 1978 The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. University of Virginia School of Law, 1948Īctive Article III judges by appointing political party There are no pending nominees for this court. There is one current vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Utah, out of the court's five judicial positions. Vacancies See also: Current federal judicial vacancies When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based in downtown Denver, Colorado, at the Byron White Federal Courthouse. The court is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with another courtroom in Ogden, Utah. The United States District Court for the District of Utah is one of 94 United States district courts. 2.2.1 Senior judges by appointing political party.2.1.1 Active Article III judges by appointing political party.