Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen has resigned.
“It is with deep sadness that I tender my immediate resignation as a Justice of the Utah
Supreme Court,” she wrote in her May 8 letter to Gov. Spencer Cox. “I sincerely regret the disruption my sudden departure will cause the Court and the parties who come before it.”
Hagen has been under pressure from Republican state leaders after allegations that she had an inappropriate relationship with a lawyer in Utah’s high-profile and contentious redistricting case. Cox, Speaker of the House Mike Schultz and Senate President Stuart Adams announced an investigation into those allegations in April.
Hagen has maintained that she never had a conflict of interest while operating as a Utah Supreme Court justice.
“I would love nothing more than to continue serving the people of Utah as a Supreme Court Justice, but I cannot do so without sacrificing the privacy and well-being of those I care about and the effective functioning and independence of Utah’s judiciary,” Hagen’s letter noted.
In a short written statement, Cox did not elaborate on the letter, only that he “appreciates Justice Hagen’s years of service to the state of Utah.”
Soon after the allegations became public in April, the Utah Supreme Court defended Hagen’s conduct and clarified that an investigation had already been completed. The court said the investigation by the Judicial Conduct Commission was done “in accordance with their constitutional and statutory authority” and that the complaint was dismissed.
Additionally, the court noted that the complaint and the commission’s findings are confidential by law. It called the public release of those documents “inappropriate” and that it “prompted renewed questioning about allegations that were previously investigated and dismissed in accordance with the process established by the Utah Constitution.”
Hagen’s last involvement with the redistricting case, according to the court, was in October 2024, when she authored a unanimous ruling that voided that year’s Amendment D ballot measure. In the spring of 2025, she recused herself from further involvement in the case, including the decision not to delay the court-ordered redistricting process in September 2025.
Despite the commission dismissing the allegations, Republican leaders pressed on. In April, during his monthly news conference, the governor called the allegations “very serious” and tried to drive the point home about the need for an independent investigation.
“When you sign up to be a judge in this state, you get held to a higher standard, period,” he said. “Everyone knows this. This is part of the deal. If you want your personal life to always be personal, then don't be a judge.”
Hagen’s resignation means she will no longer be on the ballot for retention in November. During the GOP state convention, party Chair Robert Axson called on voters to remove her from the bench.
The executive director of the Utah State Bar, Elizabeth Wright, said the fallout from the situation will create a chilling effect on the whole judiciary.
“When we start to have judges who are looking over their shoulder, you know, ‘Will I be voted out? Will this be popular among voters?’ It's a blow to a fair and independent judiciary,” she said. “We want judges who make decisions based on the facts and law in front of them and not whether or not they're going to be voted out or whether the Legislature may come after them or a political party may come after you.”
It comes as the redistricting saga set off a wave of threats against Utah judges and court staff. Wright thinks Hagen’s resignation might not resolve things, either.
“I think you're going to have a lot of people, you know, excellent lawyers or excellent judges who are going to think, ‘I don't need this,’” she said.
Cox, Adams, Schultz and Chief Justice Matthew Durrant issued a joint statement after Hagen’s resignation was made public.
“The judicial, executive and legislative branches are committed to working together on potential reforms to the Judicial Conduct Commission — ensuring it upholds the highest standards of accountability and earns the confidence of the people of Utah,” they said.
