Utah Leaders Investigating Alleged Relationship Between Supreme Court Justice, Redistricting Lawyer
Justice Diana Hagen recused herself from the redistricting case, but questions remain.
KSL News Utah learned that the state’s governor, Senate president, and House speaker have started investigating an alleged relationship between Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen and David Reymann, a lawyer who argued cases before the court.
The state’s redistricting case is one Reymann argued.
However, Justice Hagen recused herself from the case in September and “from hearing other filings in the case.”
Justice Hagen’s decision stemmed from “renewing close friendships with Reymann and Cheylynn Hayman, another attorney who is a shareholder in the firm where Reymann works.”
Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and the Judicial Conduct Commission received the complaint last year with the allegations:
The complaint, which was obtained exclusively by KSL through a public records request, came from a Provo-based attorney who said Hagen’s ex-husband told him the justice had exchanged “inappropriate” text messages with David Reymann, one of the attorneys involved in a case about redistricting, which led to Utah getting a new congressional map.
Hagen strongly denies allegations of an inappropriate relationship of any kind. Reymann also called the allegations “false.” He does outside legal work for KSL and as an attorney for the Utah Media Coalition, of which KSL is a member.
The Judicial Conduct Commission conducted a preliminary investigation into the complaint and interviewed Hagen’s ex-husband but ultimately decided not to investigate further. Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz told KSL that’s concerning.
Hayman also serves as the chair of the Judicial Conduct Commission. She recused herself from the commission’s investigation.
The decision did not please Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams, and House Speaker Mike Schultz.
“An initial review by the Judicial Conduct Commission and the court left important questions unresolved,” the three men stated. “Allegations of this nature, especially involving public officials, must be examined with transparency and accountability to establish the facts and to maintain public confidence.”
In February, the Utah Supreme Court unanimously rejected the state legislature’s appeal of the redistricting and ordered them to use the state-ordered map.
Reymann served as one of the lawyers for the League of Women Voters of Utah, a plaintiff.
Hagen’s ex-husband claimed the text messages between Hagen and Reymann started off as “silly” before becoming “more suggestive.”
The ex-husband did not approve of attorney Michael Worley’s filing of the complaint, but admitted it contained accurate details.
Justice Hagen told the Judicial Conduct Commission, “she was ‘faithful to my ex-husband for more than 30 years. I never engaged in extramarital sex with anyone prior to our separation.'”
“We will move forward with an independent investigation to ensure the facts are fully examined,” the Utah leaders also said. “This process will be conducted objectively and thoroughly, because maintaining trust in our institutions is essential.”
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Comments
Maintaining trust in our institutions is essential.
Haha, don’t make me laugh.
The justice system in the US has become a running joke.
I grew up with a belief in our court system and that I would, if I ever came before it, be treated fairly according to the law. From what I have seen in the last 10 years I no longer believe this. Far too many reports of activist judges either twisting the law or flat out ignoring it to suit their personal social justice agendas.
“A judges republic is a contradiction in terms”
Mark Steyn
the courts have never been overall fair …or no one in their mind would have upheld slavery or the criminal is not competent to be tried
and none of this..well its the congresses job…as congress realized longgg time back that they could maintain their powers while shrugging their shoulders and saying well the courts ruled on this..then dont re-write or write proper pro america/freedom from government laws
Evil never rests
And it co.mes in many clothes: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and slothfulness.
Add Marxism to that list….
It’s the sum of all of the above.
The news maggots are hot on the trail of this one.
Another chick judge, another day of problems. Boss Girlz are destroying our country.
yup
but nothing we can do now unless its a *massive* takeback
If she recused herself from the case, then I don’t understand what is the allegation. What exactly is there to investigate? Is a judge not allowed to have personal relationships?!
Likely, they will have to review pre-recusal decisions.
It sounds like the recusal happened as soon as the relationship started getting serious. Why would earlier decisions (if any) be affected?
Try reading the article a second time.
I read it several times. What I see is that she recused herself because she was developing a close friendship with the lawyer. And she recused herself from the ethics investigation as well. What more can be expected of her? What is there to investigate? If you think I’m missing something, please point it out.
Interesting choice of phrasing ‘…prior to our separation’. Which seems to imply she did in fact engage in an extra martial sexual relationship prior to the divorce aka while married. Betrayal of marriage vows made in a secular union, before a State sanctioned officiant and multiple witnesses, not to mention a religious ceremony sanctified by whatever belief system/rules of that sect, indicates the person who does so is at best irresponsibly untrustworthy and at worst an unrepentant lying charlatan who puts their own desires above their duties.
sometimes people get separated so that they cannn have extra marital affairs
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