By Jacqueline Lee
Provo attorney Randy Kester withdrew his name from consideration as a judge to the 4th District Court.
Kester notified the Utah Senate Judiciary Confirmation Committee Tuesday, Sept. 9, of his withdrawal.
'While I am grateful to the governor for nominating me and for the work of the Senate and Senate staff, I have concluded that this appointment is not the best step for me right now,' Kester wrote in a statement released Thursday, Sept. 11.
Committee chairman, Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, said the committee was in the middle of the process of endorsement and received a letter of Kester''s withdrawal.
'He said it was for personal reasons,' Buttars said. 'I don''t know what those personal reasons are.'
With Kester out, the process will now start over. A judicial nominating commission will present a list of candidates to the governor. He will then select one, the committee will deliberate about the nominee and then the Utah Senate will vote on the nominee.
The process takes two to three months, Buttars said.
Gov. Mike Leavitt nominated Kester and Attorney Derek Pullan to serve the 4th District Court in July.
The committee approved Pullan''s nomination on Sept. 5. Pullan will become a judge if he receives a majority vote from the Utah Senate.
Kester will continue private practice, practicing in the areas of personal injury claims, family law and criminal defense at the Office of Young, Kester & Petro. Kester was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2001. He received his law degree from BYU in 1984.