AGENCY: District Court (Third District)
SERIES: 22610
TITLE: Civil registers of actions
DATES: 1871-1896.
ARRANGEMENT: Numerical by case number, thereunder chronological by date.
DESCRIPTION: Civil cases document the legal process and the administration of justice in conjunction with civil proceedings for the determination of a controversy between parties wherein rights are enforced or protected, or wrongs are prevented or redressed. Records and documents pertaining to a particular civil action are filed together by the court clerk and collectively these documents constitute the case file. As these records or actions are filed, the clerk enters them in the registers which comprise this series. The clerk is required as documents enter the case file to make a notation that shows "the nature of each paper filed or writ issued and the substance of each order or judgment of the court and of the returns showing execution of process. The notation of an order or judgment shall show the date the notation is made. When trial by jury has been properly demanded or ordered the clerk shall enter the word "jury" on the page assigned to that action [UCA 79 (b) (2)]."
A register of actions may contain the following entries for each civil case: name of the attorney for plaintiff and defendant, name of the judge presiding over the case, petitions, complaints, summons, answers to summons, orders from the court, assignment of judges, exhibits, judgment, findings and conclusions, costs, decrees, requests by attorneys for instructions to the jury, verdict, motions for cross complaints or new trials, amendments to previous answers and disclaimers. Matter from throughout the district (several counties) were heard in Salt Lake City. Cases from Salt Lake County are most numerous but matters from outlying Summit and Tooele counties are common. During the early days of the territory, the Third Judicial District included other current Utah counties as well as Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Morgan, Rich and Weber. A small number of case files from locales may be included.
RETENTION
DISPOSITION
RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION
These records are in Archives' permanent custody.
FORMAT MANAGEMENT
Paper: Retain in State Records Center until microfilmed and then destroy provided microfilm has passed inspection.
Microfilm master: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
Microfilm duplicate: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
APPRAISAL
Historical
This disposition is based on the 1993 records retention policy of the Utah Judicial Council (in UCA, Utah Court Rules Annotated, Appendix F), which has remained unchanged since the 1980 issue of the state Records Retention Schedule (Utah State Archives and Records Service, Department of Finance 1980, page 1). The territorial case files provide documentation about individuals, legal procedure, court history and functions. The permanent disposition of the case files is based on their historical research value.
PRIMARY DESIGNATION
Public