Appointed in 2009, Judge Keith Kelly was most frequently described by survey respondents as intelligent, attentive, knowledgeable, polite, and patient. Many respondents commented on Judge Kelly’s obvious preparation and hard work. Others were critical because the judge seemed reluctant to control hearings in his courtroom and appeared indecisive. They complained that hearings before Judge Kelly were unnecessarily long, increasing costs to participants. Courtroom observers, however, cited Judge Kelly’s unhurried, deliberate, and careful process as positive attributes, with all observers reporting they would feel comfortable appearing before him. Of survey respondents who answered the retention question, 86% percent recommended that Judge Kelly be retained.
The commission reviewed surveys and courtroom observation reports in addition to verifying that Judge Kelly has met all time standards, judicial education requirements, and discipline standards established by the judicial branch.
In 2009, Judge Keith A. Kelly was appointed to the Third District Court. He graduated from Stanford Law School in 1985, where he was an editor of the Stanford Law Review. Before becoming a judge, he worked for 23 years as a civil attorney in Salt Lake. He has served as chair of the boards of trustees of the Utah Parent Center, “And Justice for All,” and the Disability Law Center; as president of the Anderson Inn of Court; as a member of the Utah State Advisory Board on Children’s Justice; as a member of the Utah Supreme Court’s Evidence Advisory Committee; as chair of the Utah Judicial Council’s Guardian ad Litem Oversight Committee; and as president of the Utah State Bar’s Young Lawyers Division.