Understanding Certification of Legal Questions in the Judicial Process
Certification of legal questions involves process where courts seek clarification or confirmation on legal matters through higher authorities. This includes certification steps in federal and state courts, the role of parties, judges, and justices, and the final resolution of certified questions. The process ensures accurate legal interpretation and resolution of complex legal issues.
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Presentation Transcript
What is Certification of Legal Questions? A. A court may certify the correct answer to a legal question to a court that ruled in error on the same issue. B. A court may rule on the law of a different jurisdiction and submit the ruling to the other jurisdiction for approval. C. A court of one sovereign may certify a question about the law of another sovereign to a court, agency, or tribunal of that other sovereign. D. Parties in litigation may certify to the judge that a question is a legal question, not a factual question.
Certification Process Federal (1) Controlling Utah state law legal question arises Suggestion to certify is made by the court ( sua sponte ) or by a motion from a party Court determines to certify, by an order granting the motion or by advising the parties in an order or hearing Attorneys and the judge draft facts and question to send to Utah Supreme Court Judge signs and sends certification order to Utah Supreme Court with documents from court record
Certification Process State (2) Court receives certification order Court issues an order accepting or rejecting the question certified and requests documents from federal court record Court sets briefing schedule, receives briefs and holds argument (all these steps may be modified) After argument, court confers and assigns opinion to a justice (another justice may write a separate opinion) Justices issue opinion(s) answering questions (majority opinion controls) Opinion(s) sent to federal court
Certification Process Federal (3) Federal court applies answer of Utah Supreme Court or Parties settle Answer is moot Answer is disregarded (never in Utah!)
What are the odds (motions)? [24/72= 24/72=33% 33%] years on bench 5 26 31 20 9 31 22 14 2 5 18 11 % granted 100% 66% 33% 27% 25% 11% 10% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Trial court judge Magistrate Judge Evelyn Furse District Judge Dee Benson District Judge David Sam District Judge Dale Kimball District Judge Clark Waddoups District Judge Bruce Jenkins District Judge Tena Campbell District Judge David Nuffer District Judge Jill Parrish District Judge Robert Shelby District Judge Ted Stewart Magistrate Judge Paul Warner motions granted 1 9 3 11 4 9 10 2 1 2 4 1 1 6 1 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
What are the odds (sua sponte)? (1) [32/36= 32/36=88% 88%] years on bench 22 14 5 18 sua sponte 5 1 1 2 1 certification occurred 5 1 1 2 1 % Trial court judge District Judge Tena Campbell District Judge David Nuffer District Judge Robert Shelby District Judge Ted Stewart District Judges Waddoups/Shelby/Nuffer Magistrate Judge Brook Wells Magistrate Judge Evelyn Furse Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Anderson Bankr. Judges Clark / Bill Thurman Bankruptcy Judge Kimball Mosier certified 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 14 5 2 9
What are the odds (sua sponte)? (2) [32/36=88%] [32/36=88%] years on bench 2 26 31 31 20 9 % certified 87% 80% 67% 0% 0% 0% sua sponte 8 5 3 1 0 0 certification occurred 7 4 2 0 0 0 Trial court judge District Judge Jill Parrish District Judge Dee Benson District Judge Bruce Jenkins District Judge David Sam District Judge Dale Kimball District Judge Clark Waddoups
If at first you dont succeed . . . . Certified by Circuit 3 1 1 2 3 1 2 13 years on bench 26 5 25 31 20 18 Trial court judge District Judge Dee Benson District Judge Paul Cassell District Judge Thomas Greene District Judge Bruce Jenkins District Judge Dale Kimball District Judge Ted Stewart District Judge Clark Waddoups TOTAL 13 Circuit certifications - 9 reversals of the district court 9
Circuit practices: The Tenth Circuit: has never (18 instances) certified a question to the Utah Supreme Court on motion of a party made for the first time on appeal; and has never (7 instances) reversed a district court judge s decision not to certify a question to the Utah Supreme Court. You MUST attempt certification at the trial court.
Best Practices Get the judge to think it is the judge s idea Raise early and again File a clear motion and proposed order Don t bury it in a motion for summary judgment or opposition Follow the suggested local rule, even if not adopted Brief the questions completely at the Utah Supreme Court Offer supplemental briefing
