The Utah Supreme Court has issued an order granting a petition for an extraordinary writ of mandamus, directing Judge Jon M. Memmott to transfer a district court case from Davis County to Salt Lake County. The decision, involving the Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Co., resolves a procedural dispute regarding the proper venue for litigation between major Salt Lake City newspaper entities.
The underlying legal dispute involves the Deseret News Publishing Company and the management of The Salt Lake Tribune. According to court documents, Deseret News Publishing Company filed a suit in Davis County against Kearns-Tribune, L.L.C. and Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Corporation, seeking a declaratory judgment regarding rights under various contracts.
Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Corporation moved for a change of venue to Salt Lake County. The dispute centers on the interpretation of different venue statutes. While one party argued that the contract required performance in Davis County, the court found that no written contract existed between Deseret News Publishing Company and Saltly Lake Tribune Publishing Corporation to support that claim.
Because the claims against Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Corporation are characterized as tortious interference rather than contractual, the court applied residency-based venue rules. Since Salt Lake Tribune Publishing Corporation is a resident of Salt Lake County, the court determined that Salt Lake County is the appropriate venue.
The decision follows a complex history of agreements between the publishers, including a 1952 joint operating agreement intended to integrate printing, marketing, and distribution functions for both newspapers. The court noted that while different venue provisions might apply to different defendants in the same action, the general rule of defendant residence should prevail when statutes conflict.
