HR 8 Utah House · 2026 General Session

Resolution Admonishing and Censuring Judge Don M. Torgerson

This bill is a resolution from the Utah House of Representatives that formally censures Judge Don M. Torgerson for comments made during a sentencing hearing involving child sexual exploitation. The resolution condemns the judge for minimizing the severity of the crimes and suggesting that a defendant's socioeconomic privilege could justify a lighter sentence. It also expresses disappointment that the Utah State Courts issued inaccurate information defending the judge's conduct. The measure does not change laws or allocate funds but serves as an official statement of disapproval from the legislature.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 2, 2026 Last action Mar 17, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Amended Excerpts 3/2/2026 14:03:986 Amended 3/2/2026 14:03:986 · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill text was reformatted and expanded with new paragraphs. The most significant substantive change is the addition of two new 'BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED' clauses at the end, which formally order the House to censures Judge Torgerson and express disappointment in the Utah State Courts' inaccurate defense of him. Other changes include clarifying the timeline of events and adding specific quotes from the Utah Code of Judicial Conduct to justify the censure.
Scope change
The scope of the resolution was expanded to include a formal censure and a specific rebuke of the Utah State Courts' response, whereas the original text only contained a condemnation of the judge's statements.
ENFORCEMENT

Added a formal order to censure Judge Torgerson and express disappointment in the Utah State Courts.

REQUIREMENT

Included specific quotes from the Utah Code of Judicial Conduct to establish the ethical standards the judge allegedly violated.

TECHNICAL

Reformatted the document header and line numbering to reflect a new amendment version.

TIMELINE

Added specific dates regarding the sentencing hearing (May 20, 2025) and the courts' response (May 28, 2025).

Floor votes · House Mar 3, 2026

How they voted

673
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 75
Mar 3, 2026
D Democratic14
11 Yea 1 Nay 2
78% Yea
R Republican61
56 Yea 2 Nay 3
91% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
22
Key actions
4
Committee
1
Amendments
2
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ passed 3rd reading
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ comm rpt/ amended [House Rules Committee]
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Rules Committee]
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Introduced
House Comm - Amendment Recommendation [House Rules Committee]
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Introduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Matt MacPherson
Matt MacPherson
RRepublican
UT
26