犹他州将最高法院扩大到7名法官,任命州长5人,引起人们对政治化的担忧。 Utah expands Supreme Court to 7 justices, giving governor 5 appointments, sparking concerns over politicization.

犹他州州长斯潘塞·考克斯签署了一项法案,将州最高法院从5名法官扩大到7名法官,该法案在获得最高多数立法核准后立即生效。 Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill expanding the state Supreme Court from five to seven justices, effective immediately after supermajority legislative approval. 这一变化是由共和党对法院最近关于重新划分地区、堕胎和变性运动员的裁决感到失望所驱动的,使州长能够任命七名法官中的五名法官。 The change, driven by Republican frustration over recent court rulings on redistricting, abortion, and transgender athletes, allows the governor to appoint five of the seven justices. 批评者,包括法律专家和犹他州律师协会警告这一举动可能损害司法独立和缓慢决策,特别是因为最高法院没有积压案件。 Critics, including legal experts and the Utah State Bar, warn the move may undermine judicial independence and slow decision-making, especially since the Supreme Court has no backlog. 这一扩大与一项待决的重新划区呼吁同时发生,该呼吁可能会将共和党控制的国会席位改为民主党,从而激起对政治动机的指控。 The expansion coincides with a pending redistricting appeal that could shift a Republican-held congressional seat to Democrats, fueling accusations of political motivation. 立法还将首席法官任命权移交给州长,并包括计划增加下级法院的法官。 The legislation also transfers chief justice appointment power to the governor and includes plans to add judges to lower courts. 亚利桑那州和格鲁吉亚以往的扩张结果好坏参半,有些报告降低了效率。 Past expansions in Arizona and Georgia yielded mixed results, with some reporting reduced efficiency.