Gov. Gary Herbert nominated attorney Margaret Plane on Monday to fill a vacancy on the Utah Court of Appeals created by the retirement of Mary Kate Appleby.
Plane currently serves as special counsel for the Park City Municipal Corporation. Before that, she was the city attorney for the Salt Lake City Corporation. She earned her law degree from the University of Utah.
“This appointment is such an honor and I’m grateful for Governor Herbert’s confidence in me,” Plane said. “If confirmed, I will be dedicated to the rule of law and will work incredibly hard to serve the people of Utah.”
The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. The Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee will hold a public hearing, then issue a recommendation to the full Senate. If confirmed by the Senate, Plane will fill the vacancy when Appleby retires on Jan. 1, 2021. Appleby has been a Utah Court of Appeals judge since 2014.
Herbert said, in nominating Plane, that she has demonstrated “superior intellect and expertise.”
“I am confident in her skills and know that she will serve well in this new position,” he said in a statement. “I am proud to make this appointment.”
Plane’s nomination will likely be one of the last judicial appointments Herbert makes before leaving office. He has picked more than 100 Utah judges in his nearly 12 years in office, and has chosen every current Utah Court of Appeals judge except for Presiding Judge Gregory Orme.
