PRESS RELEASE

SALT LAKE CITY (October 23, 2026) — Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Matthew B. Janzen to the Third District Court, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Robert Faust. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

“Matthew brings decades of legal experience and a deep commitment to public service,” Gov. Cox said. “He has spent much of his career handling some of the most difficult cases in our justice system, and I am confident he will bring fairness, integrity and sound judgment to the bench.”

Janzen currently serves as division chief of the Special Victims Unit and deputy county attorney in the Davis County Attorney’s Office, where he oversees the prosecution of serious felony cases. He previously spent more than 12 years with the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office, handling homicide, gang-related and special victims cases.

Before entering county prosecution, Janzen worked in private practice at Snow Nuffer and Smart, Schofield, Shorter & Lunceford, and served as a city prosecutor and assistant city attorney for South Salt Lake. He has served on the Utah State Advisory Board for the Children’s Justice Centers for 15 years and was recognized as Outstanding Professional of the Year by the Salt Lake Children’s Justice Centers in 2011.

Janzen earned his law degree from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in economics, magna cum laude, from the University of Utah.

“I am deeply humbled and honored by the trust Governor Cox has placed in me with this appointment,” Janzen said. “I have a deep love for the rule of law and the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Utah. If confirmed, I will strive to faithfully uphold these ideals established 250 years ago and treat all individuals with dignity, fairness, and respect.”

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CONTACT
Robert Carroll
Senior Advisor to Governor Cox
801-243-2290 | rcarroll@utah.gov