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Holladay • As a youth in Jamaica, Augustus Chin longed to see the world outside the island. That desire to explore took him to England and the United States, to jobs at McDonald's and a U.S. embassy and the Summit County Attorney's Office, from a year-round tropical climate to the hot summers and snowy winters of Utah.

Now he's starting on his latest adventure, as judge of the Holladay Justice Court. His colleagues in the legal profession believe he'll be an excellent jurist.

"I know that was a dream of his and I had no doubt that one day he would find himself in that position," said Sim Gill, who was the Salt Lake City prosecutor when Chin was a senior assistant prosecutor. "He was very thoughtful and very methodical in the way he approached the law. I think the city of Holladay will be well served by his presence on the bench."

Abe Bates, managing partner of Wasatch Advocates, where Chin was working before becoming a judge, said Chin was an excellent defense lawyer who excelled at forging good relationships with clients and opposing attorneys. And Summit County District Attorney David Brickey said he thinks Chin will be a thorough and compassionate judge.

For Chin, who has been on the bench since October, being a judge is a dream job.

"What I like the most is the ability to have a positive impact on the administration of justice," he said.

Chin, 51, grew up in Jamaica with an older brother and younger sister. In 1978, he went to live for a year with an aunt in England, where he worked at a McDonald's and with an accountant.

"I wanted to get off the island and learn what the West was all about," he said.

In addition to experiencing a different culture, Chin was exploring religions. He was raised Roman Catholic, and had been introduced to the Seventh-day Adventist faith that his grandmother practiced and had learned about his brother's Mormon beliefs.

After returning to Jamaica in 1979, Chin joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a Spanish-speaking mission in San Bernardino, Calif., and got a job with the U.S. Embassy when he returned to Jamaica in 1983, working in the visa section.

On his first day at the embassy, Chin met his future wife, Lisa, a Chicago woman who had been studying at Brigham Young University when she was hired as a nanny for the children of Chin's boss. The two married in December 1983 and moved to Utah; they live in Salt Lake City and have four children ranging in age from 24 to 14.

Chin graduated in 1989 from the University of Utah with a degree in political science and a minor in Spanish, then got a degree in material maintenance from the Army Logistics Management College in Texas. He worked as a production controller and planner for the Tooele Army Depot before returning to the U., where he earned a law degree in 1995.

In addition to working as a prosecutor and a defense attorney, Chin's legal career has included serving as president of the Minority Bar Association and the Utah State Bar. He also worked as a law clerk and bailiff for 3rd District Judge Tyrone Medley and has filled in as a small claims court judge.

Medley described Chin as conscientious and patient and said he is well-suited to be a judge.

"I was always impressed with Gus," Medley said. "One characteristic that always stood out was a very large capacity to treat all people from all walks of life with dignity and respect."

Chin — who has a slight British accent and a mix of African, Chinese and European ancestry — was the first person of color to be Utah State Bar president. He said the profession is making strides in increasing the number of minority and woman lawyers but "we still haven't arrived at the ideal point yet."

Holladay City Manager Randy Fitts said Chin's experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, his demeanor and his work to better the court system made him stand out when he applied for the judge's position.

His skills were evident as soon as Chin took the bench, Fitts said, adding that he is impressed with the respect and dignity that the judge shows the defendants who appear before him.

As a full-time judge, Chin hears cases from Holladay and Cottonwood Heights involving misdemeanors, traffic violations and small claims of $10,000 or less. He said he tries to help defendants make good decisions, such as complying with probation requirements.

His hardest decision is to send someone to jail, Chin said.

"That weighs quite heavily," he said. "You can't be hard line but you can't be too soft."

He tries to dispel the misconception by some that judges hand down arbitrary sentences, saying they are conscientious about looking at defendants' backgrounds and the facts of their offense.

"It's on a case-by-case basis," Chin said. "You have to decide what's a fair and just sentence for this individual at this time."

pmanson@sltrib.com Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC —

New judge

Attorney Augustus G. Chin, 51, took the bench in October at Holladay Justice Court, replacing Daniel B. Gibbons. Chin — a former president of the Minority Bar Association and the Utah State Bar — hears cases out of Holladay and Cottonwood Heights involving misdemeanors, traffic violations and small claims.