Category: Utah Appellate Decisions
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State v. Jennings, 2025 UT 1
Facts: Deon Jennings was charged with first-degree murder after stabbing Willie Houston twice in the back, resulting in Houston’s death. Jennings argued at a bail hearing that he should be…
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State v. Jolley, 2025 UT 9
In a significant ruling on victim rights and evidentiary standards, the Utah Supreme Court held that alleged victims of sexual misconduct cannot be compelled to testify at a pretrial Rule…
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Case Brief: State v. Cooke, 2025 UT 6
The Utah Supreme Court ruled that Monte Cooke can be prosecuted under a repealed criminal statute because Utah’s saving statute allows ongoing prosecutions to continue. The Court clarified that prior…
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State v. Roybal, 2025 UT App 27
Facts: Roybal was convicted of attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person. The conviction stemmed from an altercation with his then-girlfriend,…
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State v Smith, 2025 UT App 35 – Destroyed Evidence
Smith was convicted by a jury at trial on a felony charge of rape. He raised several issues on appeal, including multiple claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, and a…
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State v Johnson, 2025 UT App 13
In Utah, when a criminal defendant requests a jury instruction for an affirmative defense, the court must give that instruction if evidence has been presented providing any reasonable basis for…
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Case Brief: In Re K.M., 2025 UT App 17
Under Utah law (Utah Code § 80-3-409), when reunification services are provided, the court must determine whether the child can be safely returned to the parents
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Case Brief: State v Flores, 2025 UT App 15
The prison mailbox rule is for cases where a document actually reaches the court directly through the prison mail system.
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Case Brief: State v Taylor, 2025 UT App 14
Deference is usually given to trial judges but excusing a potential juror is a simple solution when there is concern of improper bias.
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Case Brief: State v Schaefer, 2025 UT App 4
This appeal pertains to whether a suspect’s admission at a police station should have been suppressed due to being made during a custodial interrogation without Miranda warnings being followed. Facts…
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Case Brief: State v Estes, 2025 UT App 10
The Court’s ruling in this appeal pertains to Rules 403 and 404(c) of the Utah Rules of Evidence. Rule 403 requires that evidence of other bad acts by a defendant…
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Case Brief: State v. Johnson, 2025 UT App 13
In a significant decision for Utah’s self-defense jurisprudence, the Utah Court of Appeals reversed the murder conviction of Daniel Lee Johnson in State v. Johnson, 2025 UT App 13, citing…