On March 13, 2025, Judge Ryan N. Holtan presided over his first 63 cases at the West Jordan Justice Court. He follows Judge Ronald E. Kunz footsteps, who served West Jordan residents for 34 years until his retirement in Feb 2025.

Holtan brings a wealth of experience to West Jordan, having worked at both the state and federal levels as a defense attorney and prosecutor. He’s handled crimes from cartel narcotics, sexual exploitation, human trafficking to murder. “I’ve seen how bad it can get,” Holtan lamented.

He’s in West Jordan because “I have the opportunity to help change a person’s trajectory. The further-in they get, the more they struggle to break free of their patterns.”

Holtan was selected from a pool of applicants. Becoming a municipal (or city) judge involves a rigorous, multi-month process, including thorough screenings and interviews by the Utah State Bar Judicial Nominating Commission. Committees evaluate candidates’ backgrounds, legal philosophies, and goals. After months of assessment, the final candidates are presented to the city’s executive—Mayor Dirk Burton in West Jordan—for one-on-one interviews.

The interview process includes tough questions about the applicant’s beliefs on law and how courts should work.

Holtan’s philosophy? “My career has been spent in courts that are rigid and firm to rules of procedure–that’s how you ensure fairness. Rules and law apply equally and fairly to everyone to make sure everyone is being treated the same way.”

That doesn’t mean judgement without mercy. “Punishment without mercy cannot be justice. Justice includes some element of mercy.”

If you need to appear in court in front of Judge Holtan, don’t expect anything sensational, especially not like what you see on TV.

“The law on TV is designed to entertain with a particular dramatic outcome,” Holtan explained. “The law in real life is designed to be fair; it’s about the process. This includes sentencing fairly and appropriately, ensuring appropriate punishment for behavior, rehabilitation and deterring an individual from repeating.

“If a process is fair, the outcome is fair.” West Jordan heads into the future with a Judge who will be as faithful as the past ones. Holtan believes in fairness and equality. He believes in serving justice, and helping people make changes for the better.