Gov. Cox appoints Daniel O’Bannon and Alexandra Mareschal to Utah Court of Appeals

SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 16, 2026) - Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Daniel O'Bannon and Alexandra Mareschal to the Utah Court of Appeals. Both appointments are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

"Daniel's sound judgment and knowledge of the law served Utah well in his nearly ten years at Utah's Division of Consumer Protection and made him a trusted adviser in our office," Gov. Cox said. "He approaches difficult questions with care and integrity, and I am confident he will bring those same qualities to the Court of Appeals."

O'Bannon served for nearly 10 years as the head of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, overseeing enforcement and litigation and issuing administrative orders. He has served as general counsel to Gov. Cox since August 2022. He also served as a staff attorney in Governor Gary Herbert's office and a research attorney in the University of Utah's Office of General Counsel.

He graduated from the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law with highest honors and was Order of the Coif. He earned a bachelor's degree in history, magna cum laude, from Brigham Young University.

"Utah's judiciary is full of talented, hardworking, committed judges. If I am confirmed, it will be a tremendous honor to serve with them. I am deeply grateful for Governor Cox's trust with this appointment," O'Bannon said.

Gov. Cox also appointed Mareschal, who leads the Family Defense Appeals Section of the Utah Indigent Appellate Defense Division. Her appellate practice has focused on juvenile and family law.

"Alexandra brings extensive experience in juvenile and family law, an important part of the Court of Appeals' work," Gov. Cox said. "She understands how profoundly these cases affect Utah families, and I am confident she will serve them with fairness and a commitment to applying the law faithfully."

Mareschal previously practiced at Zimmerman Booher and clerked for Utah Supreme Court Justice Paige Petersen. She has chaired the Utah State Bar's Appellate Practice Section and Juvenile Law Section and was named the Utah Family Defenders Association's Appellate Attorney of the Year in 2022 and 2023.

She earned her law degree from the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of California, San Diego.

"I am deeply humbled and honored by the trust the Governor and the Appellate Court Nominating Commission have placed in me. The Court of Appeals shapes the lives of so many Utahns, and I will respect the weight of that responsibility in every case. If confirmed, I will uphold the court's commitment to integrity and faithful application of the law. It would be the privilege of my career to serve the people of Utah in this role," Mareschal said.

Headshots of O'Bannon and Mareschal are available here.

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