This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Taylorsville • Marsha Thomas once thought she'd be a teacher — before an interest in law led her to the Taylorsville Municipal Justice Court bench.
Turns out, the Salt Lake City woman has done enough teaching as a lawyer and a judge to earn her the Utah Judicial Council's 2011 Quality of Justice Award.
The award was presented to Thomas last month by Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine Durham in recognition of her many years of service with groups that help judges do their jobs better.
Thomas served as chairwoman of the state Justice Court Education Committee. She created a website linking justice court judges to resources. She served as a faculty member of the Utah Judicial Institute, which holds educational programs for judges throughout the state. And she co-wrote Utah Legal Research, a resource guide for lawyers and nonlawyers, and is donating her share of the royalties to the Utah State Law Library.
Thomas, who has taught legal research courses at the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law, has occasionally seen the fruits of her labor when a former student, now an attorney, appears in her court.
"I love teaching," Thomas said.
Durham, noting that more than half of justice court judges in the state are not lawyers, said Thomas' book has been "huge" in helping them, as well as jurists who are lawyers. Durham also characterized Utah Legal Research as a great resource for lay people who are representing themselves in court.
"She is one of these people who is a self-starter and identifies what isn't being done, that needs to be done, and figures out a way to do it," Durham said. "The thing that really struck me is that she didn't wait for someone to give her a job or a title or an assignment."
Colorful past • Thomas, a 51-year-old Salt Lake City resident, has been a part-time judge in Taylorsville Municipal Justice Court since February 2007. She also substitutes at other justice courts and has sat on the bench in Draper, Murray, South Salt Lake and West Jordan, among others.
Taylorsville Mayor Russ Wall said Thomas is "a reasoned judge who thinks things through."
"What stood out when I hired her was her passion for the community," he said. "She really loves her job and it shows."
Thomas had a varied work history before she became a judge. Her first job was with Village Inn Pizza Parlor in Taylorsville, where she grew up. She later worked for Lotions and Potions at Trolley Square. When the owner opened another store in Rock Springs, Wyo., she transferred there.
While working in Wyoming, she met and married Reed Thomas. After he was laid off from his job as a railroad conductor, the two took turns going to school, with one staying home with their young daughter.
They took out student loans and worked, sometimes holding down two jobs at once. Marsha Thomas has been a clerk-typist, table buser, a college undergraduate adviser in a computer lab and a certified nursing assistant.
After her husband earned a law degree at the U., Thomas, who had an undergraduate degree in psychology, also decided to pursue a legal career. She, too, graduated from the U. and joined the law library faculty for seven years.
"It was a great background because I learned how to find anything," Thomas said.
Thomas, a partner with her husband in Thomas Tax & Law, has worked in private practice since 1999. Her practice areas have included tax law, estate planning, contracts, small business and divorce mediation.
Her return to Taylorsville came after seeing an ad in the newspaper for a part-time justice court job.
"I had been teaching justice court judges who were a great group of people who liked their jobs, so I applied," she said.
Compassionate justice • Thomas works 30 hours a week hearing cases involving misdemeanors, traffic violations and small-claims cases of $10,000 or less. Consequently, her docket typically includes assaults, disorderly conduct, domestic violence offenses, child neglect, theft, speeding and driving on a suspended license or under the influence.
Taylorsville Public Defender Doug Stowell offered what could be viewed as the highest compliment for a judge:
"She's a fair judge who really tries to work with people," he said.
And yet, her job can mean sending people to jail.
"I know they need to go," Thomas said, "but I am also aware it will impact their lives and the lives of people who love them. The oldest person I've sent to jail was 80 years old. I've sent a person to jail when they told their family they were at a doctor's appointment. I've had to send people to jail when they've brought their children to watch."
But her attention to the individual sets Thomas apart, according to Taylorsville Justice Court Judge Michael Kwan.
"Her compassion and her patience are two hallmarks of any good judge and she has them in abundance," Kwan said. "She can relate to every individual that comes before her."
Overall, Thomas says the job suits her.
"Being a judge seems to bring together everything I have learned over the course of my career," she said. "I use my legal research skills to find the law. I use my mediation skills when things get stressful in court. I use my skills as an educator to try to help make a complex process understandable. I like that."
twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC —
Marsha C. Thomas
R Taylorsville Municipal Justice Court judge.
Age • 51.
Family • Married for 30 years to Reed Thomas, a tax attorney. She has one daughter, who's a pharmacist.
Education • Bachelor's degree in psychology and a law degree from the University of Utah.