Judge Memorial CHS graduate appointed by Gov. Herbert as 3rd District Juvenile Court judge

Intermountain Catholic

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Renee M. Jimenez

SALT LAKE CITY — Renee M. Jimenez has been appointed by Governor Gary Herbert to fill a vacancy on the 3rd District Juvenile Court bench, which serves Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties.

Jimenez, a 1982 graduate of Judge Memorial Catholic High School, has been a parishioner of Saint Vincent de Paul for almost 10 years. She received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.

"I have a strong faith background and this has helped me in my profession and also will help me in the future as a general court judge," said Jimenez, who worked for 17 years in the Utah attorney general’s office in the child protection division, prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases.

"I worked with the division of child and family services, helping families become stronger and reunited," said Jimenez.

As a wife and mother of four children, Jimenez has been able to balance a full-time job with her parenting role.

"It is sort of an art to work fulltime and be a parent, but what has helped me is that I have an amazingly supportive family," said Jimenez.

She and her husband try to have a lot of conversations with their children so they understand her job better, she said. "My husband is very supportive."

Having attended both public schools and Catholic schools, Jimenez has discovered that, for her family, Catholic schools have worked better.

"In my personal experience with the Catholic school and with St. Vincent’s, the community there is just such a warm and nurturing environment that I thought that that was the best fit for my child, to be surrounded by teachers and faculty and even other students that are always looking for her best interests," said Jimenez.

The Catholic faith has always been a foundation for Jimenez in her personal and professional life, she said.

"It’s important to have a faith base, no matter what religion, because it gives you a sense of self, a center which everything else that you do revolves around. ... That is just so important with your life, and how you treat other people it is vital," said Jimenez.

Her challenges and plans in her new position are to be able to help children and families to overcome the situations that they might be in, she said.

"My hope and desire is to help the children and families that come before me to be healthy, protective and nurturing parents, and that the kids that come before me as delinquent youth are able to understand that the acts that they committed don’t define them; that they can overcome whatever challenges they have and they can become productive members of society," said Jimenez.

Jimenez has served as chairwoman of the Utah Supreme Court’s Diversion Committee for four years; then as a member for three years. She also has served as a member of the Drug Court Management Team, the advisory committee on the Rules of Juvenile Procedure and as chairwoman of the Ethics and Discipline Committee.

"I intend to continue my faith practice throughout my career," she said.

Jimenez, a member of the Utah Minority Bar Association, is the second minority candidate nominated to the bench by Gov. Herbert. She fills the vacancy left by Judge Frederic M. Oddone, who retired April 16.