Utah Supreme Court Justice Resigns Amid Conflict Allegations and Drought Declaration Looms
Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen has resigned following renewed allegations of a conflict of interest from Republican lawmakers. The allegations, initially raised by her ex-husband, suggested she was involved with a lawyer connected to a state redistricting case. Although the state's judicial conduct commission dismissed the complaint, Republicans were dissatisfied and intended to pursue an independent investigation. Justice Hagen, in her resignation letter to Governor Spencer Cox, expressed that while she accepted the scrutiny that comes with public office, her family should not endure public exposure of personal matters. Concurrently, Utah's drought response committee has recommended that Governor Cox declare an emergency drought status due to low snowpack, stressed reservoirs, and increased wildfire risks. Such a declaration would enable the allocation of resources and funding to mitigate the drought's effects, although it would only be valid for 30 days under state law. 
