“How can I vote for these judges when I don’t know anything about them?” is a sentiment commonly expressed after going through the list of national and local candidates. Fatigue and frustration set in as we seem to know less and less about the names we are voting for as we move down the ballot. Judges may be further down the ballot but are among those elected officials that can have the biggest impact on our lives. From speeding tickets and divorces to fraud, drug crimes and murder, judges make daily decisions that affect all of us in Utah. It is imperative that we maintain the highest standards in our courtrooms.

So as election day draws near, now is the time to educate ourselves about the rest of the ballot. To help with this endeavor, the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) has an informative website to provide information to Utah voters on the judges on their ballot. Key information is included in an easy-to-navigate site. A summary of each judge’s performance is available along with a vote by JPEC on whether the judge has met performance standards set by the Utah Legislature. JPEC is a bipartisan commission with members appointed by all three branches of government and is made up of both lawyers and non-lawyer citizens.

To access the information, go to judges.utah.gov and select your county. Weber, Davis and Morgan counties have eight state and district judges up for reelection this year and, depending on your city, you may have additional judges running for local justice courts. You can also link directly to each judge from your sample ballot found through the “Learn About Candidates and Issues” tab on vote.utah.gov.

The data-driven process JPEC uses to make the recommendation includes surveys of lawyers, court staff, juvenile court professionals, jurors and others who have appeared before the judge. These surveys evaluate legal ability, judicial integrity and temperament, administrative abilities and procedural fairness — basically, the respect and fair treatment that one should expect in a courtroom. In addition to this data, anonymous courtroom observers visit each courtroom and write detailed accounts of the judge’s performance. Submitted public comments are also reviewed. JPEC then votes on whether the judge has met the required performance standards.

As you scroll through the data, it may seem as though JPEC has rubber-stamped each judge with a positive recommendation. While it is true that the majority do meet or exceed the performance standards, there are two primary reasons for this. First, Utah is fortunate to have a very rigorous merit selection process and not a partisan election. This has resulted in a strong judiciary for the state of Utah and keeps the money and politics out of the judiciary. Second, if a judge’s performance report is unsatisfactory, he or she typically chooses not to run for reelection.

Making sure we keep the best judges is important for all of us. Only you, the voter, can decide if a judge will remain in office.

Visit judges.utah.gov and learn about the judges in our community. Make your voice heard.

Shannon Sebahar is a former JPEC commissioner (2013-2024).