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 Thomas met these standards:

1. She participated annually in no less than 30 hours of continuing legal education for each year of her current term;
2. She held no cases under advisement for more than two months; and
3. She has not been the subject of any public reprimands issued by the Judicial Conduct Commission or the Utah Supreme Court during her term of office.

Based solely on compliance with these standards, the commission recommends retention for Judge Thomas.

Judge Thomas was a part-time judge in Taylorsville but is now a full-time judge. Judges that are full-time at the beginning of an evaluation period receive a comprehensive evaluation.

Raised in Taylorsville, Judge Marsha C. Thomas serves the City of Taylorsville Municipal Justice Court. She earned a law degree from the University of Utah College of Law and then worked as a reference librarian at the U’s law library, assisting the public in accessing legal information and teaching legal research to law students. She then opened a solo practice and later founded Thomas Tax & Law, Inc. Judge Thomas is co-author of the book “Utah Legal Research.” She currently chairs the Judicial Council Committee on Resources for Self-Represented Parties and previously chaired the Utah Justice Court Education Committee. Judge Thomas received the Utah Judicial Council 2011 Quality of Justice award, the Justice Court 2011 Judge of the Year award, and 2010 Justice Court Service award.