Retention election · Nov 3, 2026
Aaron Flater
Third District Juvenile Court
JPECMeets or exceeds standardsWhat this court does
Handles cases involving minors in Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties: delinquency, abuse and neglect, and parental-rights cases.
On every Salt Lake County ballot, including Taylorsville. Vote Yes to keep this judge for 6 more years, or No to remove. More Yes than No votes retains the judge.
The evaluation below is JPEC's official evaluation, quoted and summarized from its report. This guide does not rate judges.
Details: scores, feedback, standards, sources
Ballot question: “Shall AARON WILLIAM FLATER be retained in the office of Judge of the Juvenile Court of the Third Juvenile Court District?” · On every Salt Lake County ballot, including Taylorsville.
95% of survey respondents recommend Judge Flater for retention
JPEC survey scores (1–5 scale; JPEC reports list 3.6 as the minimum standard)
| Legal ability | 4.2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Integrity & temperament | 4.7 | |
| Administrative skills | 4.6 | |
| Procedural fairness | 4.7 |
Compared with peers (JPEC)
- Consistent with peers: Legal Ability, Integrity & Judicial Temperament, Administrative Skills, Procedural Fairness
What survey respondents and observers said (JPEC summary)
- Respondents admire Judge Flater’s care for juveniles and their families and commitment to their success.
- Both respondents and courtroom observers praise the judge’s welcoming, patient manner and kind, dignified treatment of court participants.
- Survey results indicate that he should continue to improve his legal skills and knowledge, and several respondents suggest that the judge should work on being more decisive and efficient in the courtroom.
- Observers commend his consistent, impartial behavior.
- All four observers report confidence that they would be treated fairly if they were to appear in Judge Flater’s court.
Other standards (certified by the courts / Judicial Conduct Commission)
- Judicial Education: Pass
- Judicial Time Standard: Pass
- Judicial Discipline: Pass
- Fitness for Office: Pass
Biography (from JPEC)
Judge Aaron W. Flater was appointed to the Third District Juvenile Court in October 2022 by Governor Spencer Cox. He serves Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties. Judge Flater graduated from Ricks College with an A.S. degree in Political Science. He then graduated from Utah State University with a B.S. degree in Sociology and a minor in Criminal Justice. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law where he received an award for Trial Practice. Judge Flater worked as an associate at Henriksen and Henriksen and later transitioned to prosecution. He prosecuted cases at all levels of government including work as a Senior Assistant Salt Lake City Prosecutor, a Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney, and an Assistant United States Attorney.
Sources
About this office: Third District Juvenile Court judge
A judge in the court for young people and families, who handles offenses by minors, child abuse and neglect cases, and other child-welfare matters in Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties.
- Role
- Juvenile court judge, Third Judicial District (9 judges)
- Hours
- Full-time
- Pay
- $224,750
- Typical week
- Detention and delinquency hearings, child-welfare review hearings, rulings; work with caseworkers, guardians ad litem and probation
Responsibilities and powers
- Original jurisdiction over felonies, misdemeanors, infractions and ordinance violations committed by a child, and in some cases by young adults for offenses committed before 18, plus child-welfare findings and magistrate functions when a minor is tried as an adult (Utah Code 78A-6-103).
- The Third Judicial District has nine juvenile court judges (78A-1-104).
A typical week [INFERRED from jurisdiction]
- Back-to-back short hearings: detention reviews, delinquency adjudications and dispositions, and recurring review hearings in abuse and neglect cases, often with the same families over months or years.
Time commitment
- Full-time.
Staff and budget
- Judicial assistants and court staff; juvenile probation officers are part of the court system [INFERRED].
Pay
- $224,750 for FY2027 (100% of the District Court salary under 67-8-2).