First District Judge Kevin Allen announces retirement

LOGAN — Local First District Judge, Kevin Allen has announced he will be stepping down from the bench after serving for over 11 years. He reportedly submitted his notice this week to Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and Utah Governor Gary Herbert.

Judge Allen has overseen cases in Cache, Rich, and Box Elder Counties. He has presided over several high-profile cases, including the attempted aggravated murder trial of Deserae Turner’s shooter, Colter Peterson.

In a press release, Chief Justice Durrant said, “We deeply appreciate Judge Allen’s eleven years of dedicated service. Not only has he been an excellent judge, but he has made important contributions to the administration of the judicial system.”

Judge Allen was appointed to the First District bench in 2008 by then Governor Jon M. Huntsman. He is a native of Cache County, and received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University. He later received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Colter Peterson makes initial appearance before Judge Kevin K. Allen in 1st District Court on Monday. Peterson has been charged with attempted aggravated murder in the shooting of Deserae Turner (Eli Lucero/Court Pool).

While in law school, Judge Allen was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and after graduation, served in the JAG Corp where he eventually became the lead prosecutor for the Northeast Command and the Tax Officer for the European and Southwest Asia Command. Upon leaving active duty as a Lieutenant Commander, he returned to Logan and practiced law primarily in civil matters.

Judge Allen established and presides over the First District Mental Health Court in Logan and has been a strong proponent within the judiciary of Mental Health Courts and other judicial intervention programs for the mentally ill. Additionally, he is a co-founder of the National Mental Health Court Summit held in Park City. He served as a member of the Utah Sentencing Commission and as a member of the Utah Board of District Court Judges where he eventually became Chair. He currently serves as a member of the Utah Judicial Council, the governing board of the Utah Judiciary.

Throughout his 11 years, Judge Allen would often take time in court to speak with youth groups. He also visited local schools to speak to students.

Judge Allen will remain on the bench until August, after which Governor Herbert will nominate a new judge with confirmation by the Utah State Senate.

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2 Comments

  • Angela M Parmelee July 31, 2019 at 9:45 am Reply

    This judge should be investigated… he sentenced a man who admitted to molesting two girls under the age of 10 to 2 months in jail. The judge stated that it would not serve the community to give the man a lengthy jail sentence. Any judge who thinks it doesn’t serve the community to give child molesters lengthy jail sentences should be investigated and removed from the bench. Child molestation is the most abhorrent crime a human being could commit against another human. Child molesters should be sentenced to death. What type of message does it send to society about the severity of a crime when the sentence is very short? It sends the message that it’s a petty crime. I’m sure a pedophile doesn’t mind serving 2 months in jail just to get his rocks off. Sexual crimes against children should come with extreme and lengthy sentences.

    • Bridget Hanson July 31, 2019 at 10:49 am Reply

      I came here to look him up for that exact reason.. Molesting 2 girls under the age of ten only to serve 60 DAYS IN JAIL!

      MOLESTING CHILDREN. 60 DAYS. Now i don’t care WHAT the circumstances are, id he admitted to doing it, he needs to be locked up forever. People have been known to come out of jail just to do the same thing in cases like thia. This is so far from justice. I want to know why he is getting off rhe hook.

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