Cox appoints three judges to Utah courts, pending Senate confirmation

Gov. Spencer Cox appointed three judges in October: Daniel O'Bannon and Alexandra Mareschal to the Utah Court of Appeals, and Matthew B. Janzen to the Third District Court. Each appointment still needs confirmation by the Utah Senate. ^[1][2]

O'Bannon has been Cox's general counsel since August 2022. He previously led the Utah Division of Consumer Protection for nearly 10 years, overseeing enforcement and litigation. He also worked as a staff attorney in Gov. Gary Herbert's office and a research attorney in the University of Utah's general counsel office. ^[1]

Mareschal leads the Family Defense Appeals Section of the Utah Indigent Appellate Defense Division, where her work has focused on juvenile and family law. She previously practiced at Zimmerman Booher and clerked for Utah Supreme Court Justice Paige Petersen. ^[1]

"Alexandra brings extensive experience in juvenile and family law, an important part of the Court of Appeals' work," Cox said. ^[1]

Janzen would fill the Third District seat left by the retirement of Judge Robert Faust. He is division chief of the Special Victims Unit and a deputy county attorney in the Davis County Attorney's Office, and earlier spent more than 12 years with the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office. He also worked in private practice and as a city prosecutor and assistant city attorney for South Salt Lake. ^[2]

All three earned law degrees from the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law. ^[1][2]