Utah Supreme Court Justice Resigns Amid Pressure From Republican Leaders

Diana Hagen resigned from the Utah Supreme Court on Friday amid mounting political pressure from Republican lawmakers and activists, despite an official finding that allegations against her were unsupported by evidence.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Hagen’s immediate resignation after weeks of controversy surrounding accusations that she maintained an improper relationship with attorney David Reymann, who had argued a case before the state’s highest court.

The allegations were reviewed by Utah’s Judicial Conduct Commission, which ultimately dismissed the complaint and described the accusations as “speculative, overstated, and misleading,” according to reporting from The Salt Lake Tribune.

Despite the dismissal, Republican leaders in Utah continued demanding additional scrutiny.

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz and Senate President J. Stuart Adams publicly pushed for further investigation, arguing that unresolved concerns remained surrounding the matter.

At the same time, the Utah Republican Party launched a campaign encouraging voters to reject Hagen in an upcoming judicial retention election.

In her resignation letter, Hagen said the controversy had inflicted an unacceptable personal toll on her family and loved ones.

“But my family and friends did not choose public life,” Hagen wrote. “They do not deserve to have intensely personal details surrounding the painful dissolution of my thirty-year marriage subjected to public scrutiny.”

Hagen also said she had hoped to remain on the bench but could not continue serving while exposing her family to ongoing public attention.

“I would love nothing more than to continue serving the people of Utah as a Supreme Court Justice,” she wrote, “but I cannot do so without sacrificing the privacy and well-being of those I care about.”

Following the resignation, Schultz and Adams issued a joint statement calling Hagen’s departure “in the best interest” of the court and confirmed that no further investigations tied to the allegations would move forward.

Governor Cox and Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant also announced plans to pursue possible reforms to the Judicial Conduct Commission process in order to strengthen accountability and preserve public confidence in the judiciary.

Durrant said he was “saddened” by Hagen’s departure and praised her long legal career and service to Utah.

He specifically highlighted her work prosecuting the kidnapper of Elizabeth Smart, as well as her advocacy for crime victims and mentoring efforts for younger attorneys.

The controversy surrounding Hagen reportedly stemmed in part from a Utah Supreme Court case involving disputes over legislative authority to overturn voter-approved ballot initiatives. Reymann, the attorney referenced in the complaint, participated in that case before the court.

The complaint itself originated from allegations made by Hagen’s ex-husband before eventually being submitted to the Judicial Conduct Commission.

After reviewing the claims, the commission’s bipartisan members voted to dismiss the complaint. However, the controversy reignited after the commission’s report became public through a records request, triggering renewed pressure from Republican lawmakers demanding outside review.

Several legal organizations and judicial advocacy groups expressed concern over how the situation unfolded.

The Utah State Bar described Hagen’s resignation as a major loss for the judiciary and suggested she had faced unfair political pressure despite the commission clearing her of misconduct allegations.

A nonpartisan organization focused on judicial independence also warned that the campaign against Hagen could create broader concerns about political interference targeting judges whose rulings displease lawmakers.

The resignation comes amid escalating tensions between Utah’s judiciary and Republican-controlled legislature following multiple court rulings striking down or limiting GOP-backed policies.

Earlier this year, lawmakers approved legislation adding two additional seats to the Utah Supreme Court — a move critics argued was designed to reshape the ideological balance of the court.

Hagen, who was appointed to the state Supreme Court by Governor Cox in 2022 after previously serving on the Utah Court of Appeals, leaves behind one of three open vacancies that will now help shape the future direction of Utah’s highest court.