Weber County judge stays on ballot despite panel's recommendation he be removed
All 13 members of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission found he did not meet standards.
Based on reporting by The Salt Lake Tribune. Read the original story →
Continuing story: Election administration for the Nov. 3 vote
Weber County Justice Court Judge Trent Nelson is staying on the Nov. 3 ballot after the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission recommended that voters remove him, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. He is the only judge on this year's ballot with a negative recommendation. [1]
All 13 commission members concluded he did not meet standards, including those for legal ability, integrity, judicial temperament and procedural fairness. Judges who receive a negative review usually retire, which keeps the evaluation from becoming public. Nelson declined an interview, saying judicial rules bar judges from campaigning. In a written response he said he was "happy to receive feedback" and that court observers found him professional and consistent. [1]
Some respondents to the commission's survey said he was impatient with defendants and could be demeaning, one calling his approach "extreme rhetoric and lecturing." A Tribune reporter who visited his courtroom saw him work with defendants to make sure they could afford monthly payments. [1]
The commission's director said the last judge to stay on the ballot after a negative recommendation was in 2016, when 3rd District Judge Su Chon was retained by voters. [1]
Sources
This story was written by AI from the report by The Salt Lake Tribune, which has the full story. How we write stories.