Gov. Cox nominates St. George’s Jay Winward to serve on 5th District Court bench

Composite image with background stock photo of Fifth District Court, overlay image of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Winward who was recently nominated to the bench, St. George, Utah date of photo not specified | Photo courtesy of the Utah Governor's Office, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Jay Winward, who currently serves as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. George, has been nominated by Gov. Spencer Cox to fill the vacancy on the Fifth District Court bench in the wake of District Judge Jeffrey Wilcox’s recent retirement.

2021 stock photo of St. George Police Chief Kyle Whitehead (L) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Winward during “Chief’s Award” presentation at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. George, Utah, Sept. 28, 2021 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, was announced by the governor’s office on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by Cox.

“Jay Winward will bring great knowledge and experience to the Fifth District bench,” Cox said in the statement. “I am pleased he’s willing to take on this new responsibility and know he will serve the people of Southern Utah well.”

On Wednesday, St. George News contacted Winward who said, “I am thrilled to be nominated by the governor to serve the people of Southern Utah.”

Winward has practiced law in Southern Utah since 2007, and he currently serves as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Utah’s branch office in St. George. His appointment as an assistant U.S. attorney was part of a push to staff the local office by then U.S. Attorney John Huber.

Huber told St. George News in a 2020 interview that making sure the local office was staffed with federal prosecutors who could manage the volume of complex cases and multi-agency investigations was critical, with Interstate 15 as a major corridor for criminal activity and a vital corridor for drug traffickers.

Winward was recognized for his exemplary work ethic and willingness to provide his expertise, reputation and experience, as well as his extraordinary efforts and participation that went above and beyond the call of duty, St. George Police Chief Kyle Whitehead said in September while presenting Winward with the distinguished “Chief’s Award” from the St. George Police Department.

The federal prosecutor’s efforts resulted in the effective resolution of two of the department’s cases that were wrought with difficult witnesses, vast amounts of evidence and criminal activity that stretched across Utah and beyond, Whitehead said during the 2021 presentation. While there are a number of awards the department presents to civilians and law enforcement, this particular commendation was not one that was issued annually or routinely but was presented solely under the chief’s discretion.

Wilcox recently announced his retirement after serving as a Fifth District Court judge for nearly a decade, following his appointment by then-Gov. Gary R. Herbert to fill a vacancy on the Fifth District Court bench in January 2013.

Wilcox started practicing law in 1984, shortly after being admitted to the Utah State Bar. Prior to the appointment, he spent many years in general litigation, real estate, banking, commercial, corporate, partnership, business, personal injury, insurance defense, construction law and adoption.

Prior to his current role, Winward worked as a partner at Winward Law where he represented clients in federal, state and municipal criminal cases, as well as family and business transaction law. He was also an attorney at Mitchell & Forest, where he worked in all aspects of civil litigation. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Utah, and a JD from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego.

Since 2009, he’s been an adjunct business law professor at Utah Tech University. He’s also provided pro bono legal services at the Southern Utah Community Legal Center and served on the board of directors of the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.

Senate confirmation is required to be made within 60 days of a judge’s gubernatorial appointment, according to Utah statute.

And according to a news release from Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee, those who wish to comment on the nomination should contact the committee electronically or by mail at the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. Electronic comments can be emailed to senatejudicialnominees@le.utah.gov.

Written comments can be mailed to the Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee at the Utah State Capitol, Suite W210, PO Box 145210, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5210. All statements should include the respondent’s name, telephone number and mailing address.

The news release also said the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee plans to hold a public hearing, then issue a recommendation to the full Senate. If confirmed by the Senate, Winward would assume his judge-ship on Feb. 16, 2023.

The 5th District Court covers Beaver, Iron and Washington counties.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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