Plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging Utah's Proposition 4 are asking a newly appointed Utah Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from their case after discovering he signed the petition to repeal the ballot measure, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

The motion argues the justice's signature on the repeal petition creates an appearance of bias and conflicts with his judicial role in deciding the measure's constitutionality. The justice has not yet ruled on the recusal request.

Proposition 4 was a closely watched ballot measure in Utah's recent election. The case tests questions about judicial ethics and when a judge's prior political activity requires recusal.