Four veteran attorneys and a state court judge are among five candidates vying for a soon-to-be open magistrate position on Utah’s federal bench.
The U.S. District Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Committee on Monday announced the names of those being considered to be the state’s next magistrate after the departure of David Nuffer, who will soon be confirmed as Utah’s next federal judge.
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Carlos A. Esqueda, Evelyn J. Furse, Anthony B. Quinn, Robert L. Steele and Billy L. Walker are the nominees.
Esqueda is an assistant U.S. attorney; Furse is an attorney for Salt Lake City who handles civil litigation; Quinn is a 3rd District judge; Steele is a federal public defender; and Walker is senior counsel for the Utah State Bar’s Office of Professional Conduct.
Magistrates are appointed to eight-year terms by a majority vote of district judges. Magistrates conduct preliminary issues in criminal cases and also handle other criminal and civil matters assigned by district judges.
D. Mark Jones, clerk of Court for Utah’s federal court, said that public comment on the magistrate candidates will be open until Feb. 6. Written comments about them can be e-mailed to magistratejudgepubliccomment@utd.uscourts.gov.
The other magistrates on Utah’s bench are Samuel Alba, Brooke C. Wells, Paul Warner and Robert Braithwaite.
Meanwhile, Nuffer’s confirmation to become a district judge is on track to be finalized now that the U.S. Senate is back from its holiday recess.
Nuffer’s appointment will fill one of two district judgeships that have sat vacant since November 2009, when Judge Dale Kimball assumed senior status — a form of semi-retirement awarded to long-serving judges. Judge Tena Campbell achieved senior status in January 2010, meaning she is entitled to take fewer cases.
Robert J. Shelby was nominated for the other open district judgeship by President Barack Obama on Dec. 1. He has yet to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Utah has a total of five active district judgeships.
Nuffer, a former president of the Utah State Bar who had worked in private practice in the St. George area, was appointed to be a magistrate in 1995. Nuffer said in his Judiciary Committee questionnaire that he hoped to continue to teach one class a year at Brigham Young University’s law school, where he attended. Nuffer also said that he was active in the Washington County Democratic Party when in private practice.
Shelby is a personal injury attorney who works at the Salt Lake City law firm of Snow, Christensen & Martineau. He received his B.A. in 1994 from Utah State University and received his law degree in 1998 from the University of Virginia School of Law.
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