Shall Jon R. Carpenter be retained in the office of Judge of the Emery County Justice Court?
What does this office do?
- Deciding trials in the county
- Ruling on evidence and setting sentences in criminal cases
- Deciding family, probate, and civil disputes
Affects: Public Safety and Crime Control, Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties, Housing Affordability,
Jon R. Carpenter
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · Official site
Justice court judge for Carbon County, East Carbon, and Emery County, first appointed in 2014. A Creighton University law graduate and former Seventh District law clerk, he practiced at a private law firm before taking the bench.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 4 records
Made the motion on February 24, 2025 for the Utah Judicial Council to share the courts' opposition to House Bill 512 with the Utah State Bar. Council members saw the bill and several others as an attempt to weaken the independence of the courts. The motion passed unanimously.
February 24, 2025
Source: legacy.utcourts.gov
Won a retention vote in Carbon County's November 5, 2024 general election, with 82.6% voting yes (6,185 yes to 1,303 no).
November 5, 2024
Source: carbon.utah.gov
Was sworn in on October 23, 2023 as a member of the Utah Judicial Council, the body that sets policy and budgets for Utah's courts. The council placed him on its Policy, Planning, and Technology Committee the same day.
October 23, 2023
Source: legacy.utcourts.gov
Was named judge of the East Carbon City Justice Court by the Carbon County Nominating Commission on January 10, 2017, replacing Judge Linda Murdock. He was already the justice court judge for Carbon County and Wellington City. Before that he was a partner at a Price law firm and a law clerk for Utah's Seventh District Court.
January 10, 2017
Source: legacy.utcourts.gov
Track record — Impartiality
Impartiality · 1 favorable
Received a 13-0 vote from the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission finding that he meets or exceeds its standards, in the report it shows voters for his 2026 retention question. He passed all 5 minimum standards, including judicial discipline and procedural fairness. A courtroom observer and nearly all of the 14 people interviewed gave him positive reviews; one litigant called him condescending.
October 15, 2026Favorable on Impartiality
Source: judges.utah.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 1 favorable
Received a 13-0 vote from the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission finding that he meets or exceeds its standards, in the report it shows voters for his 2026 retention question. He passed all 5 minimum standards, including judicial discipline and procedural fairness. A courtroom observer and nearly all of the 14 people interviewed gave him positive reviews; one litigant called him condescending.
October 15, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: judges.utah.gov
Source: vote.utah.gov