Autumn Stavely v. Jeffery G. Norman, et al.
DueProcess
Did the Supreme Court of Utah violate Petitioner's Fourteenth Amendment due process rights when it sanctioned her and her counsel for seeking appellate review of the district court's decision not to change venue or disqualify the judge based on bias?
QUESTIONS PRESENTED Did the Supreme Court of Utah violate Petitioner Autumn Stavely’s and her counsel’s Fourteenth Amendment’s due process rights when it sanctioned both Ms. Stavely and her counsel for merely seeking appellate review of the district court’s decision not to change venue or to disqualify the district court judge based upon allegations of bias? (The U.S. Supreme Court had previously decided that it is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to sanction a party or their attorney for seeking a judge’s disqualification or change of venue. See Holt v. Virginia, 381 U.S. 131, 136, 85 S.Ct. 13875,14 L.Ed.2d 290 (1965)). Is an Appellate Court required to review a district court’s denial of a motion to disqualify a judge or motion for a change of venue when the district judge had extrajudicial relationships with two defendants: one who he had over to his home for dinner; and a second defendant who was his brother-in-law’s lifelong friend starting from high school?