Utah Court of Appeals Amy Oliver's seat

My general position on judicial retention is pretty simple: I’m extremely cautious about removing judges.

Utah’s judicial appointment process gives the governor enormous influence over who sits on our courts, and voting not to retain a judge doesn’t mean voters get to choose someone better. It means creating a vacancy that gets filled through that same appointment process.

I have serious concerns about giving politicians more opportunities to reshape our judiciary, particularly when judicial independence is already under pressure.

That doesn’t mean judges shouldn’t be held accountable. They absolutely should. And when there’s documented evidence of misconduct, incompetence, or a failure to uphold the law, we should take it seriously.

But I don’t believe we should remove judges simply because we disagree with a ruling or their perceived political philosophy.

Judicial independence matters. An impartial judiciary matters. And sometimes protecting those institutions means being careful about who we’re giving the power to appoint their replacements.

https://bluevoterguide.org/view-ballot?bid20=2004923589e74dd562e5d91af39cf5b09a