User:Steezosaurus Rex/Judge Royal Hansen

Royal I. Hansen is a judge for the Third Judicial District Court. He was appointed in July 2003 by Gov. Michael O. Leavitt. He serves Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties.

Early life and education
Royal Hansen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hansen grew up in Salt Lake and was educated through the public school system. After high school, Hansen attended the University of Utah. Hansen received his law degree from the University of Utah College of Law in 1975.

Legal career
After graduating from the University of Utah, Hansen worked in Washington D.C. as a law clerk for Judge Frank Q. Nebeker of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. In 1976 Hansen left Washington D.C. to work for the Salt Lake City law firm of Moyle and Draper in Utah. He practiced mostly civil litigation throughout his 27 years with the firm. As a lawyer, Hansen was admitted to practice in both the District of Columbia and Utah. He is a member of the A. Sherman Christensen American Inn of Court.

Judicial career
Judge Hansen was appointed to the Third District Court in July 2003 by Gov. Michael O. Leavitt. He currently handles civil and criminal calendars. Hansen served as the presiding Judge of the South Valley Felony Drug Court and is the Associate Presiding Judge of the 3rd District Court. He currently serves as a member of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Rules of Professional Conduct, the Supreme Court Committee on Civility and Professionalism, and as the chair of the Judicial Council’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. The Supreme Court Committee on Civility and Professionalism provides mentoring programs for new lawyers.

A profile of Judge Hansen was published by the Salt Lake County Bar Association in the Fall of 2006. The Litigation Section of the Utah Bar has published a "Bench Book" where Judge Hansen's courtroom practices and preferences are outlined.

Notable cases/rulings
Although Hansen has dealt with several significant cases throughout his career, two trials stand out most notably in his time as a 3rd District Court Judge.

The first case was a criminal trial regarding an outcasted polygamist boy. This "lost boy" shot his girlfriend after she refused to have sex with him. Parley Jeffs Dutson, 19, was charged and convicted with first-degree felony murder and aggravated sexual assault in 3rd District Court stemming from the April 7, 2007 death of Kara Hopkins. Judge Hansen sentenced Dutson to 15 years to life.

The second notable trial was the murder of Utah Valley University hockey coach Kenneth Dolezsar. Eugene Christopher Wright was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for killing Kenneth Dolezsar outside a Village Inn in Sandy in 2007. Wright shot and killed Dolezsar in November of 2007 and escaped the crime scene with Dolezsar's car.

Personal Background
Judge Hansen is an avid tennis player. He shares his passion for tennis with his children, most of whom have played tennis at the collegiate level. Hansen is also an enthusiast of the University of Utah athletics programs. He enjoys the symphony as well as studying history.