But after nearly seven years on the job - and service under two different presidential administrations - Paul Warner may soon be stepping down.

The reason: Warner has apparently been selected by Utah's federal judges to become Utah's fourth U.S. magistrate.

An official announcement will not be made until an FBI background investigation is finished, probably by early February.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Tuesday, "Senator Hatch and our office know Mr. Warner is very interested in the [court] position, and Senator Hatch is playing a key role in finding a replacement [for Warner]."

Asked who might be in the running to fill Warner's shoes, Carr said, "There are literally dozens of people who would be interested. It's a coveted position."

Warner was unavailable for comment. His spokeswoman, Melodie Rydalch, said, "He has not resigned. He's coming to work every day, and he's the U.S. attorney until he's not.

"He may be stepping down, but there's no timetable."

Rydalch added that Warner's tenure is unusual both for its longevity and that it crossed political party lines. Appointed in July 1998 by President Clinton at the urging of Hatch, Warner was kept in place by President Bush.

Utah's federal clerk of the court, Markus Zimmer, said the Judicial Conference of the United States, which governs the judiciary, last year approved the court's request for a fourth full-time position.

This year, Utah's nine federal district judges convened a selection panel, comprised of five attorneys and two citizens, to review applications and draw up a short list of qualified applicants.

The list was submitted to the judges, who conducted interviews and have made a selection. Once that person passes an FBI background check, the new judge's name will be announced by the court, Zimmer said.

Chief Judge Dee Benson declined to comment.

Magistrate judges usually handle only the early stages of criminal and civil cases, such as arraignments and detention hearings.

At present, there are three full-time magistrates in Salt Lake City and three part-time magistrates.

With the new appointment, the part-time position in Vernal will be eliminated, and the part-time Monticello position will end when that magistrate's current term of service ends in 2007. Those duties will be assumed by the four full-time magistrates, on a rotating basis.

A part-time magistrate position in St. George will be retained, Zimmer said.