A panel of Utah U.S. District judges voted for the first time in state history not to reappoint a magistrate judge to a second term on the bench.
Magistrate Judge Evelyn J. Furse, who was sworn into the job in 2012, will serve until the end of April, U.S. District Court clerk Mark Jones said.
Jones said there have been between eight and 10 magistrate judges in state history, and Furse was the first one whom judges declined to appoint to a second term.
Magistrate judges conduct preliminary hearings in criminal cases and also handle other criminal and civil matters as assigned by district judges.