Paul M. Warner

Paul Michael Warner is a federal magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the District of Utah. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and took office on February 19, 2006.

Warner was born in 1949 in Seattle, Washington, and was reared in Salt Lake City, Utah. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University and graduated with the charter class of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU. He also earned his master’s degree in public administration from the Marriott School of Management at BYU.

After obtaining his law degree, Warner was a trial lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps of the US Navy. He eventually became Department Head and Chief Defense Counsel of the Naval JAG in San Diego, California. He was the Judge Advocate General Branch of the Utah Army National Guard for twenty-five years, retiring in 2006 and becoming a colonel and the State Staff Judge Advocate. For his service, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Army Meritorious Service Medal with two oak-leaf clusters.

Warner was appointed Assistant Attorney General of Utah in 1982 and served over six years. He then served for two-and-one-half years as Associate Chief Deputy Attorney General. In 1989, he joined the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah where he held various positions. In 1998 he was nominated by US president Bill Clinton to be the United States Attorney for the District of Utah; a position he retained when President George W. Bush took office. He was in office during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and played a major role with security strategy for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games held in Salt Lake City four months later.

He has served on the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee and is on the Utah State Bar Mentoring Committee. He has served as a Master of the Bench in the American Inns of Court and as Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the BYU Law School. He has also been an adjunct professor in BYU’s law school.

He and his wife are the parents of four children. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.