Retention election · Nov 3, 2026
Chris Bown
Riverton Municipal Justice Court
JPECMeets or exceeds standardsWhat this court does
A local court for misdemeanors, traffic and parking cases, small claims and city or county ordinance violations.
Only on ballots in the city this court serves; not on Taylorsville ballots. 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 CHRISTOPHER GREGORY BOWN be retained in the office of Judge of the Riverton Municipal Justice Court?” · Only on ballots in Riverton (not on Taylorsville ballots).
95% of survey respondents recommend Judge Bown for retention
JPEC survey scores (1–5 scale; JPEC reports list 3.6 as the minimum standard)
| Legal ability | 4.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Integrity & temperament | 4.7 | |
| Administrative skills | 4.6 | |
| Procedural fairness | 4.7 |
Compared with peers (JPEC)
- Above peers: Legal Ability, Integrity & Judicial Temperament, Procedural Fairness
- Consistent with peers: Administrative Skills
What survey respondents and observers said (JPEC summary)
- Respondents describe the judge as “fair and effective” and as one who promotes public trust and confidence.
- Respondents and courtroom observers applaud his kind and courteous demeanor.
- Observers value the judge’s sensitivity to the situations and circumstances of court participants.
- All observers report confidence that they would be treated fairly if they were to appear in Judge Bown’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 Christopher G. Bown was appointed to the Taylorsville Justice Court in May 2021, and the Riverton Justice Court in February 2023. Judge Bown received a degree in political science from Brigham Young University in 1996. Before attending law school, he was a court clerk for the Third District Court. He graduated from the University of Utah Law School in 2001. After receiving his Juris Doctor, Judge Bown, upon graduating, was employed as a Deputy District Attorney at the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office until 2013. While there, he handled many types of cases, including a number of high-profile cases, and considered his time as the assigned prosecutor in the Third District Court one of the highlights of his career. In 2013, Judge Bown became a criminal defense attorney and eventually joined the firm of Stowell, Crayk and Bown, PLLC as a partner until his appointment to the bench.
Justice court judges are appointed by the city or county executive with the local council's consent (Utah Code 78A-7-202), not by the governor.
Sources
About this office: Justice Court judge
A local judge, appointed by a city or county, who handles class B and C misdemeanors, traffic tickets, city ordinance violations, and small claims.
- Role
- City or county justice court judge
- Hours
- Either; set by the city or county based on caseload
- Pay
- $182,210 (Salt Lake County Justice Court); state law sets 70–90% of a District judge's salary for full-time judges
- Typical week
- High-volume calendars: arraignments, traffic, DUI and domestic cases, small-claims trials, often including evening court
Responsibilities and powers
- Original jurisdiction over class B and C misdemeanors, ordinance violations and infractions committed in its territory by adults, and certain traffic and wildlife offenses by minors (Utah Code 78A-7-106).
- Appointed by the city or county executive with the council's consent (78A-7-202); six-year terms, then retention elections in the city or county (78A-7-203).
- Qualifications: U.S. citizen, at least 25, a Utah resident for three years; since May 3, 2023, new judges need a law degree (78A-7-201).
- Taylorsville note: Taylorsville's justice court was combined with West Jordan's municipal justice court, in effect by January 2026. No Taylorsville justice court judge is on the 2026 ballot. The Alta judge appears on every county ballot because Alta is a town (78A-7-203(2)(a)).
A typical week [INFERRED from jurisdiction]
- Many short hearings a day: arraignments, pleas, sentencing and reviews for traffic, DUI, retail theft and domestic cases; small-claims trials. Some courts hold evening sessions.
Time commitment
- Full-time or part-time. The State Court Administrator measures a part-time judge's caseload as a percentage of a full-time judge's caseload, and pay is prorated by that percentage (78A-7-206).
Staff and budget
- Court clerks employed by the city or county; budgets come from the city or county general fund [INFERRED].
Pay
- $182,210 for the Salt Lake County Justice Court judge (2026 SLCo salary schedule, from the guide's pay compilation). By law a full-time justice court judge earns 70%–90% of a District judge's salary (FY2027: $157,325–$202,275 [COMPUTED]) (78A-7-206).