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SALT LAKE CITY — Retired Utah Court of Appeals Judge William Thorne Jr. was honored Wednesday for distinguished service by the National Center for State Courts.
Thorne, of Park City, is known nationally for his work to establish guidelines for judges considering cases of children in foster care, according to a Utah State Courts release.
The center's president, Mary McQueen, praised the judge's ongoing efforts to serve children as she presented the award Wednesday at Utah's annual judicial conference.
"Judge Thorne is a passionate judicial champion for improving outcomes for children and families in the court system," McQueen said in a statement. "(The National Center for State Courts) is fortunate to benefit from the long-standing experience Judge Thorne brings from his 30 years' experience as a state court trial judge, tribal judge and state court appellate judge."
The Distinguished Service Award is one of six honors the center presents each year.
After serving in both the 3rd Circuit and 3rd District courts, Thorne was appointed by then Gov. Mike Leavitt to the Utah Court of Appeals in May 2000, where he worked until his retirement in 2013. He has also served as a tribal court judge in Utah, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska and Michigan. He is the former president of the National Indian Justice Center, a nonprofit that trains tribal court personnel around the country.
