# United States District Court for the District of Utah

The United States District Court for the District of Utah (in case citations, D. Utah) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Utah. The court is based in Salt Lake City with another courtroom leased in the state courthouse in St. George.
Appeals from the District of Utah are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Utah represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of May 4, 2022 the United States attorney is Trina A. Higgins.

## Current judges

As of April 12, 2024:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 17 | Chief Judge | Robert J. Shelby | Salt Lake City | 1970 | 2012–present | 2018–present | — | Obama |
| 18 | District Judge | Jill Parrish | Salt Lake City | 1961 | 2015–present | — | — | Obama |
| 19 | District Judge | Howard C. Nielson Jr. | Salt Lake City | 1968 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 20 | District Judge | David Barlow | Salt Lake City | 1971 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
| 21 | District Judge | Ann Marie McIff Allen | St. George Salt Lake City | 1972 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 9 | Senior Judge | David Sam | Salt Lake City | 1933 | 1985–1999 | 1997–1999 | 1999–present | Reagan |
| 11 | Senior Judge | Tena Campbell | Salt Lake City | 1944 | 1995–2011 | 2006–2011 | 2011–present | Clinton |
| 12 | Senior Judge | Dale A. Kimball | Salt Lake City | 1939 | 1997–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 13 | Senior Judge | Ted Stewart | Salt Lake City | 1948 | 1999–2014 | 2011–2014 | 2014–present | Clinton |
| 15 | Senior Judge | Clark Waddoups | Salt Lake City | 1946 | 2008–2019 | — | 2019–present | G.W. Bush |
| 16 | Senior Judge | David Nuffer | St. George | 1952 | 2012–2022 | 2014–2018 | 2022–present | Obama |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | John Augustine Marshall | UT | 1854–1941 | 1896–1915 | — | — | Cleveland | resignation |
| 2 | Tillman Davis Johnson | UT | 1858–1953 | 1915–1949 | — | 1949–1953 | Wilson | death |
| 3 | Willis William Ritter | UT | 1899–1978 | 1949–1978 | 1954–1978 | — | Truman | death |
| 4 | Albert Sherman Christensen | UT | 1905–1996 | 1954–1971 | — | 1971–1996 | Eisenhower | death |
| 5 | Aldon J. Anderson | UT | 1917–1996 | 1971–1984 | 1978–1984 | 1984–1996 | Nixon | death |
| 6 | Bruce Sterling Jenkins | UT | 1927–2023 | 1978–1994 | 1984–1993 | 1994–2023 | Carter | death |
| 7 | David Kent Winder | UT | 1932–2009 | 1979–1997 | 1993–1997 | 1997–2009 | Carter | death |
| 8 | John Thomas Greene Jr. | UT | 1929–2011 | 1985–1997 | — | 1997–2011 | Reagan | death |
| 10 | Dee Benson | UT | 1948–2020 | 1991–2014 | 1999–2006 | 2014–2020 | G.H.W. Bush | death |
| 14 | Paul G. Cassell | UT | 1959–present | 2002–2007 | — | — | G.W. Bush | resignation |
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 7, 1916, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 18, 1916, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 29, 1950, and received commission on July 7, 1950.

## Chief judges

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

## Succession of seats

Seat 1 :
| Seat established on January 4, 1896 by 28 Stat. 107 ||||
| Marshall | 1896–1915 |
| Johnson | 1916–1949 |
| Ritter | 1950–1978 |
| Jenkins | 1978–1994 |
| Campbell | 1995–2011 |
| Shelby | 2012–present |
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Christensen | 1954–1971 |
| Anderson | 1971–1984 |
| Sam | 1985–1999 |
| Cassell | 2002–2007 |
| Waddoups | 2008–2019 |
| Barlow | 2020–present |
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Winder | 1979–1997 |
| Kimball | 1997–2009 |
| Nuffer | 2012–2022 |
| Allen | 2024–present |
Seat 4 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Greene, Jr. | 1985–1997 |
| Stewart | 1999–2014 |
| Nielson, Jr. | 2019–present |
Seat 5 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| Benson | 1991–2014 |
| Parrish | 2015–present |