Part-time justice court judges standing for retention in 2016 are required to meet three minimum performance standards adopted by the judicial branch and enacted by the legislature.
Judge Richards met these standards:
- He participated annually in no less than 30 hours of continuing legal education for each year of his current term;
- He held no cases under advisement for more than two months; and
- He has not been the subject of any public reprimands issued by the Judicial Conduct Commission or the Utah Supreme Court during his term of office.
Based solely on compliance with these standards, the commission recommends retention for Judge Richards.
Appointed to the bench in 2012, Judge Ray Robert Richards is a 1996 social work graduate from Utah State University. Prior to his appointment, Judge Richards worked for 16 years for the Eighth District Juvenile Court, first as a Probation Officer and later as Chief Probation Officer. He is a certified firefighter with the State of Utah and currently volunteers for both Vernal City and Uintah County.