Judicial officers (judges, justices, and commissioners) are appointed interpreters of the law and preside over the resolution of legal cases.
Judges rule on the admissibility of evidence and determine how a trial will proceed. In many trials, juries are selected. Judges instruct juries on applicable laws, direct them to deduce the facts from the evidence presented and hear their verdicts.
Judges decide the cases when the law does not require a jury trial or when the parties waive their right to a jury.
Judges' duties vary according to the extent of their jurisdiction and power, but each has an important civic influence in their role as public servants.
If you have been to court, chances are you have interacted with a judicial assistant. They are the individuals that the majority of court clientèle interact with on a daily basis. In this role, judicial assistants help court patrons throughout the system in several important ways:
Preparing and issuing orders, case dispositions, and maintaining records.
Establishing and maintaining court dockets, calendaring court dates, and confirming court arraignments.
Maintaining jury rolls and performing other related jury duties.
Performing in-court duties such as taking minutes and running records.
Preparing judicial correspondence, decisions, and similar documentation.
Receiving payments for fines and fees and updating case records.
Performing follow-up work subsequent to court sessions.
While judicial assistants interact with witnesses, attorneys, and litigants, they are also an important point of contact for the public.
As the courts attempt to assist youth who have violated the law in transforming their behaviors and making positive contributions to society, probation officers are a predominant influence in realizing this transformation. Probation officers link juveniles to the court and the community. In this role, probation officers perform non-judicial case handling for the Juvenile Courts in the following ways:
Evaluating and using evidence-based practices to guide youth on paths most likely to successfully and permanently leave the juvenile justice system.
Engaging often in team approaches to problem-solving to assist families with wraparound services.
Providing guidance and supervision to the juvenile and family.
Communicating and coordinating with the Court regarding juvenile progress.
Facilitating elements of victim restitution.
Working toward and recommending release from probation.
Probation officers must exercise tact and sound judgment while performing this valuable service to the state of Utah and its youth.