SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced two appointments to fill the current vacancies on the state Supreme Court.
Judge Matthew L. Bell and Michael R. Menssen were appointed Friday by Cox and will fill the seats left by the retiring Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and Justice Diana Hagen, who resigned earlier this year.
Bell has served as a district court judge in the Fifth Judicial District since 2017, and was previously an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Utah and a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.
“I understand the profound responsibility this appointment carries. If confirmed, I will remain steadfast in my sworn duty to support, obey, and defend the Constitution," said Bell.
As a partner at Mayer Brown LLP in Salt Lake City, Menssen specializes in commercial litigation, labor and employment law.
“I have a deep love and respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, and the role of an independent judiciary," Menssen said. "If confirmed, I will always strive to be a faithful steward of the trust placed in me.”
