The Third District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected five nominees to fill a vacancy on the Third District Juvenile Court, according to a July 9 announcement from the Office of Governor Spencer J. Cox. The vacancy follows the upcoming retirement of Judge David L. Johnson, which is scheduled to take effect on September 16, 2026.
The judicial nominees announced
The five individuals selected for consideration include Christine Henneman, an assistant attorney general with the Utah Attorney General’s Office; Russell Minas, a domestic relations and mental health commissioner for the Third District Court; Carolyn Perkins, a juvenile public defender from the Weber County Attorney’s Office; Julie Sagers, a senior attorney with the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office; and Lance Talakai, a team leader with the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association.
Retirement of Judge Johnson
The vacancy is created by the retirement of Judge David L. Johnson, who was appointed to the Third District Juvenile Court in February 2022 by Governor Cox. A former assistant attorney general and general counsel for Utah’s Department of Human Services, Judge Johnson's jurisdiction includes Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties.
Utah merit selection process
The selection follows the established merit selection plan used in Utah, which is the exclusive method for choosing state court judges. According to the Utah Department of Criminal Justice, this four-step process consists of nomination by a judicial nominating commission, appointment by the Governor, confirmation by the State Senate, and ultimately a retention election.
The Third District Judicial Nominating Commission, chaired by John Huber, is responsible for reviewing applications and conducting interviews before referring names to the Governor. The commission's members are appointed by the Governor for four-year terms and must be Utah residents within their respective judicial districts.
Public comment period open
The commission is currently accepting public input regarding the nominees. Written comments can be submitted to the Third District Judicial Nominating Commission via email at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or sent to the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice in Salt Lake City. The deadline for the submission of these comments is noon on July 20, 2026.
Following the public comment period, the commission may request additional information or conduct further investigations into the candidates. Once the review is complete, the names will be formally submitted to Governor Cox.
Next steps for appointment
Once the nominees are presented, Governor Cox will have a 30-day window to make an official appointment. Any appointee selected by the Governor must then undergo a confirmation process by a majority of the Utah State Senate.
The commission members for the Third Judicial District include Chair John Huber, along with Patricia Cassell, Marina Tateoka, Stan Parrish, Michael Weichers, Liz Halloran, and Mayor Debbie Winn.
Constitutional guidelines for selection
The judicial selection process remains governed by the Utah Constitution and the Judicial Selection Act. These regulations ensure that selections are based solely on the fitness of candidates for office, without regard to partisan political considerations.
