For the first time, students on the Utah State University Logan campus watched as a group of five Utah judges held court. Utah Supreme Court Justices heard arguments in two cases this week, under the direction of Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant.
“You are going to hear a couple of cases today,” Justice Durrant said as he opened the court. “The first is a criminal matter. It originated in the juvenile court and concerns the Serious Youth Offender Act. The second is a case concerning the Right of Collective Bargain.”
Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, Associate Chief Justice Thomas R. Lee, Justice Constandinos Himonas, Justice John A. Pearce and Justice Paige Petersen sat at a long table draped in an Aggie blue cloth as USU President Noelle Cockett welcomed the justices.
“I am so grateful that we have people who truly care about the nuances of words and phrases, who have deep knowledge of our law and constitution, and most of all have a passion and commitment to people’s rights,” Cockett said. “I want to thank you for giving us a peak into your fascinating world of the court system.”
Taking court to communities is nothing new for Utah Supreme Court Justices. After noticing other institutions of higher learning in the state had held court on their campus, the justices arranged for what could be the first of many such court sessions to happen in Logan.
