Author: Utah Courts

Rules of Professional Conduct and Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective May 1, 2023

RPC08.03. Reporting Professional Misconduct. Amend. Clarifies that a lawyer or judge participating in a Utah State Bar-sponsored fee dispute resolution program is not required to disclose information gained in that program to the Office of Professional Conduct.

Supreme Court Order for RPC 8.3

USB14-01111. Exemption from future testimony and confidentiality of records and information. Amend. Clarifies when the Bar may disclose confidential information and what information it may disclose in the context of its fee dispute resolution program. A post-comment period amendment further clarifies that disclosure to law enforcement is permitted to the extent disclosure is necessary to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm. Also clarifies that a Fee Dispute Resolution Committee member who participates in a fee dispute arbitration may not be called as a witness in any subsequent legal proceeding related to the fee dispute.

USB14-01116. Conduct of the mediation. Amend. Permits the fee dispute mediator to serve notice of the mediation by email on the mediating parties.

Supreme Court Order for USB 14-1111 and 14-1116

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Rules Governing the Utah State Bar – Effective May 1, 2023

USB14-0402. Definitions. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0404. Active status lawyers MCLE, NLTP, admission on motion, multi-state compliance reciprocity, house counsel and UBE requirements; MCLE requirements for Paralegal Practitioners. AMEND. Terminology amendments; clarifications around the New Lawyer Training Program.

USB14-0408. Credit hour defined; application for approval. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0409. Categories of Elective CLE defined. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0410. Accreditation of CLE; undue hardship and special Accreditation. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0411. Board Accreditation of CLE. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0412. Presumptively approved CLE providers; presumptive CLE Accreditation. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0413. CLE Accreditation for qualified audio and video presentations,  webcasts, computer interactive telephonic programs, writing, lecturing, teaching, public service, and live attendance. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0414. Certificate of compliance; filing, late, and reinstatement fees;  suspension; reinstatement. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0418. Remote group CLE. AMEND. Terminology amendments.

USB14-0419. CLE Credit for Pro Bono Legal Services. NEW. Proposes a two-year pilot project that will provide CLE credit for pro bono services performed under the auspices of a Utah court, the Utah State Bar, or a sponsoring entity.

Supreme Court Order

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Rules of Criminal Procedure – Effective May 3, 2023

URCrP007B. Preliminary Examinations.  In its 2023 legislative session, the Utah Legislature approved SJR006, modifying Rule 7B of the Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure. The amendment clarifies the extent to which a magistrate may use hearsay evidence to find probable cause in a preliminary examination.

URCrP016. Discovery.  In its 2023 legislative session, the Utah Legislature approved SJR006, modifying Rule 16 of the Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure. The amendment requires prosecutors to disclose all evidence relied upon when filing an information and creates a deadline for such disclosure.

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Rules of Evidence – Effective May 3, 2023

URE1102. Reliable Hearsay in Criminal Preliminary Examinations.  In its 2023 legislative session, the Utah Legislature approved SJR006, modifying Rule 1102 of the Utah Rules of Evidence. The amendment permits a prosecutor, or staff for a prosecutor, to transcribe a declarant’s statement or assist a declarant in drafting a statement, so long as the prosecutor, or staff for the prosecutor, does not draft the statement or tamper with the witness.

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Rules of Appellate Procedure – Effective May 1, 2023

URAP020. Habeas corpus proceedings. Repeal/Add Advisory Committee Note. Rule 20 has been repealed because it is superfluous and confusing, and could prejudice a criminal defendant’s opportunity to seek relief under the Post-Conviction Remedies Act (PCRA). Rules 65B and 65C of the civil rules, together with the PCRA, Utah Code § 78B-9-101 to -110, already provide mechanisms to challenge the lawfulness of any official detention. Although the rule is being repealed, there will be an advisory committee note left in Rule 20 advising parties that although Rule 20 has been repealed, they still have the ability to file a petition directly to the Supreme Court under Rule 19, under appropriate circumstances.

URAP019. Extraordinary writs. Rule 19 has been amended to: (1) incorporate a page and word limit, and a certificate of compliance, similar to the requirements in Rule 24 regarding briefs; (2) add the ability for the petitioner to file a reply after service of a response; (3) increase the amount of time to file a response from 7 days to 30; (4) add an Advisory Committee Note advising parties that although Rule 20 has been repealed, they still have the ability to file a petition directly to the Supreme Court under Rule 19 under appropriate circumstances; and (5) clean up language for clarity and consistency.

URAP023. Motions. Rule 23 has been amended to substitute “discussion” for “memorandum.” The Committee believes that the word “memorandum” can lead individuals to file unnecessarily a separate document containing the facts and arguments supporting their requests, rather than merely including those facts and arguments in the original petition or motion.

URAP023C. Motion for emergency relief. Rule 23C has been amended to: (1) change the reference to Rule 19; (2) change the rule reference in paragraph (e) concerning form of papers from Rule 23(f) to Rule 27, as paragraph 23(f) was relocated to Rule 27 effective November 1, 2021; and (3) correct formatting for consistency. The rule currently refers to a specific subparagraph in Rule 19 that will be renumbered under the proposed amendments. To avoid cross-referencing problems that future amendments may create, the Committee recommends directing parties to the general rule rather than a specific paragraph.

Supreme Court Order

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Rules of Civil Procedure – Effective February 14, 2023

URCP065A.  Injunctions. Amend.

HJR002S03 (the joint resolution amending Rule 65A re: injunctions) passed both the House and the Senate with the constitutional 2/3 majority.  Based upon that action being completed, Rule 65A of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure is now amended and the new version of Rule 65A went into effect immediately. Language previously allowing a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order to issue where a litigant showed, among other things, that “the case presents serious issues on the merits which should be the subject of further litigation” has been removed from paragraph (e). Additionally, paragraph (f) authorizes a restrained or enjoined party to move for reconsideration of the injunction or restraining order, and requires that such a motion be granted and an injunction or restraining order be terminated, under certain specified circumstances.

Here is a link to the final version of the joint resolution:
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