The Appellate Group

In re J.A.C.

In re J.A.C., 2026 UT 27 (Pohlman, A.C.J.)

Child Welfare

The Utah Supreme Court held:

(1) It had appellate jurisdiction over only Mother’s challenges based on errors that occurred after remand from her first appeal.
(2) The juvenile court did not commit reversible error in making its best interests determination, and its decision was not against the clear weight of the evidence.

Practice tip:

In his concurring opinion, Justice Nielsen offered additional thoughts on subject-matter jurisdiction: “Subject-matter jurisdiction is categorical (the kind of case that a court can hear) and its lack renders a judgment void and subject—at least to some degree—to collateral attack. Case-specific jurisdictional concerns (like proper service invoking personal jurisdiction, compliance with deadlines, or justiciability concerns based on the particular parties) makes a judgment merely voidable. If these types of concerns are raised timely, the judgment can be undone; but if not, finality prevails.”

Read the full court opinion