Utah Code Ann. § 78A-2-113 – Judicial hiring freeze authorized.

(1) As used in this section, "General Fund budget deficit" means a situation where General Fund appropriations made by the Legislature for a fiscal year exceed the estimated revenues adopted by the Executive Appropriations Committee of the Legislature for the General Fund in that fiscal year.
(2) During a General Fund budget deficit, the governor, president of the Senate, speaker of the House, and chief justice of the Supreme Court, may, by unanimous vote, implement a judicial hiring freeze for judicial vacancies for:
1. (a) a juvenile court district with three or more juvenile court judges;
2. (b) a district court district with three or more district court judges;
3. (c) all appellate court judges; or
4. (d) any combination of Subsections (2)(a) through (c).
(3) In implementing a judicial hiring freeze, the governor, president of the Senate, speaker of the House, and chief justice of the Supreme Court shall:
1. (a) establish the length of that hiring freeze; and
2. (b) ensure that the hiring freeze lasts at least 90 days, but not longer than the last day of the annual general session of the Legislature.