Gordon Roscoe Hall (December 14, 1926 – June 1, 2025) was an American judge who was a justice of the

Utah Supreme Court The Utah Supreme Court is the supreme court of the state of Utah, United States. It has final authority of interpretation of the Utah Constitution. The Utah Supreme Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, an associate chief justice ...

from 1977 to 1993.Christopher Smart,
Tooele County courthouse named for favorite son Hall
, ''

The Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History ...

'' (April 23, 2007). He served as chief justice from 1981 to 1993, which is longer than any chief justice in Utah history.

Early legal career

Hall was born in Vernal, Utah on December 14, 1926. He practiced law in

Tooele, Utah Tooele ( ) is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 35,742 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Tooele County. Located approximately 40 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City, Tooele is known for Tooele Arm ...

. He was attorney-adviser for the commanding officer at the

Tooele Army Depot Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) is a United States Army Joint Munitions Command post in Tooele County, Utah. It serves as a storage site for war reserve and training ammunition. The depot stores, issues, receives, renovates, modifies, maintains and demi ...

from 1953 to 1958. At different points in his career, he was town attorney for

Wendover Wendover is a town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road along t ...

and Stockton, and Grantsville city attorney. He was elected three times as Tooele County Attorney.

Judicial career

Hall was appointed to the Third District Court in 1969. Governor Scott M. Matheson appointed him to the Utah Supreme Court in 1977. He became chief justice following the death of his predecessor in that office, Richard J. Maughan.Utah Judicial Council History
During Hall's tenure as Chief Justice, the

Utah Constitution The Constitution of the State of Utah defines the basic form and operation of state government in Utah. History Utahns had drafted seven previous constitutions starting in 1849 as part of repeated attempts to become a state. In 1850, the fede ...

was changed to make the judiciary independent. Utah's Judiciary gave him the Distinguished Jurist Award in 1988.Utah's Judiciary Honors Justice, Clerk, Attorney
, ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...

'' (October 1, 1988). He served as President of the Conference of Chief Justices,"CHIEF JUSTICE TO LEAD PEERS ELECTION IS CALLED A 'PERSONAL TRIBUTE' TO HALL AND UTAH", Deseret News, Aug. 4, 1988
chairman of the Utah Judicial Council, and chairman of the board of the

National Center for State Courts The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is an independent, non-profit organization focused on improving the administration of justice in the United States and around the world. Its efforts are directed by a 27-member board of directors and th ...

Later life and death

In 2007, the new

Tooele County Tooele County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 72,698. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele. The county was created in 1850 and organized the following year. Tooele Coun ...

Courthouse was named in his honor. When it opened, it was the only Utah courthouse named for a judge. On June 1, 2025, Hall died at the age of 98.Former Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon Hall dies at 98
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Gordon R. 1926 births 2025 deaths Justices of the Utah Supreme Court People from Tooele, Utah Chief justices of the Utah Supreme Court S.J. Quinney College of Law alumni