Paul C. Burke: Utah Senate blockade threatens judicial independence
Refusal to hear the nomination of Margaret Plane verges on a violation of the Utah Constitution.
(Photo courtesy of Salt Lake City) Margaret Plane, who was the Salt Lake City attorney under Mayor Ralph Becker.
By Paul C. Burke | Special to The Tribune
| Dec. 14, 2020, 2:07 p.m. | Updated: 6:16 p.m.
The Utah Senate’s current blockade of a nominee to the Utah Court of Appeals is not merely an affront to Gov. Gary Herbert and the nominee. It also is a threat to the integrity of our state’s merit system for selecting judges and risks undermining the independence of Utah’s judiciary.