Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation Saturday expanding the state Supreme Court from five to seven justices, adding two judges to the Court of Appeals, and three to district courts, a move supporters say will speed up caseloads. The bill passed easily with near-unanimous Republican support, though funding for the $6.5 million annual cost and $1.7 million in new chambers has not yet been approved.
SB134, sponsored by Sen. Chris Wilson (R-Logan), cleared both chambers last week with strong GOP backing and was signed by Cox alongside nine base budget bills. Cox issued no additional comment in the release announcing the signings. The bill originally proposed adding two justices to the Supreme Court and two to the Court of Appeals but was amended after Chief Justice Matthew Durrant testified that district courts face the most acute backlog, leading to three new district judges.
Supporters, led by Wilson, argued the expansion is necessary to ensure cases are heard promptly. “I think we owe it to our citizens to make sure that their cases are heard as quickly as possible,” Wilson told a Senate committee. “There's nothing like having a court case hanging over your head as you're trying to go about life.”
Most importantly, the new Supreme Court justices would play a key role in reviewing or approving the new congressional map for 2026, which adds a Democratic-leaning seat.
The expansion is not yet funded. Lawmakers must appropriate $1.7 million for new chambers and $4.7 million annually for salaries, benefits, and staff during the final week of the session. If funded, appointments would begin with the Supreme Court and proceed downward.
