Judge appointed to fill court vacancy

The Utah Court of Appeals will be complete for the first time since December as Gov. Gary Herbert has appointed J. Frederic Voros Jr. to fill the current vacancy.

Voros, currently of the Utah Attorney General's Office, will replace Judge Judith Billings on the seven-member court. Billings retired in December after serving on the appeals court since 1987.

The eight-month time frame is not typical when it comes to replacing a judge, but there has been "some history" to finding a replacement for this position, said Utah State Courts public information officer Nancy Volmer. "Typically it doesn't take that long," Volmer said. "The nominating commission has 45 days to complete the process … then the governor must select within 30 days … and then the appointee must be confirmed within 60 days by the Senate."

Volmer said the process has been stalled twice. Once due to "budget constraints" and once after the first candidate was not confirmed by the Senate.

A Wednesday statement from the Governor's office said Voros was selected because of his experience at the appellate level and because he will "complement" the other judges. Voros was both chief of the criminal appeals division of the Utah Attorney General's office and the Assistant Utah Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals Division.

Voros was one of six replacements nominated for the position by a nominating commission, including three district court judges. The Senate will have 60 days to confirm or reject Voros. Until Voros is confirmed, Volmer said the judges will continue to operate with six judges, but a district judge can be brought in as needed.

— Emiley Morgan