By McKenzie Romero | Editor
Gov. Spencer Cox announced his nominees to fill two vacancies on the Utah Supreme Court, continuing his march of high court appointments.
If confirmed by the Utah Senate, the latest candidates — a judge and an attorney — will be the fifth and sixth justices chosen by Cox for the now seven-person high court, following a year of tension between lawmakers and jurists.
In this weekend’s Dispatch we introduce you to the two candidates to fill out the Utah Supreme Court bench and share our top stories of the week, including the plight of a nonprofit that employees people who have experienced homelessness, and fears about an increasingly dangerous summer for firefighters.
“There is no place for judicial activism in the system. If you want to make laws, then get another job.” — Gov. Spencer Cox announcing his appointments for the Utah Supreme Court.
Utah Supreme Court nominees Matthew Bell and Michael Menssen, sitting with Associate Chief Justice Jill Pohlman on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026 at the Utah Capitol. (Annie Knox/Utah News Dispatch)
By Annie Knox
Gov. Spencer Cox appointed 5th District Judge Matthew Bell and civil litigator Michael Menssen to fill the seats on the Utah Supreme Court vacated by retiring Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and former Justice Diana Hagen, who stepped down in May after a dismissed complaint of misconduct against her was made public.
Earlier this summer, Cox tapped lawyers to fill a two-seat expansion of the Supreme Court under a new state law. The expansion followed a string of legal setbacks the court dealt the Legislature, including in the state’s high-stakes redistricting lawsuit.
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