Category: Utah Appellate Court Opinions
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Utah Court of Appeals Reverses DUI Conviction Over Toxicology Report
A Utah DUI conviction unraveled on appeal after judges concluded the jury should never have heard parts of the toxicology report used to secure it. The decision draws a sharp…
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State v. Dowhaniuk, 2025 UT App 100
The Utah Appeals Court has recently released an opinion reinstating the order for Jake Dowhaniuk to await trial on release with an ankle monitor. The original order was altered by…
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State v. Qayum, 2025 UT App 178
The Utah Court of Appeals has affirmed a conviction for enticing a minor in State v. Qayum, a case that arose from an online sting operation. In doing so, the…
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State v. Bell Resets the Standard for Theft-of-Rental-Vehicle Prosecutions
In State v. Bell, 2025 UT App 169, the Utah Court of Appeals issued a significant decision that reshapes how prosecutors must approach theft-of-rental-vehicle cases. The court vacated Randi Lou…
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Utah Supreme Court Narrows Right to Appeal Pretrial Detention Decisions
October 31, 2025 – The Utah Supreme Court ruled in State v. Harris, 2025 UT 48, that criminal defendants do not have an automatic right to appeal the denial of…
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State v. Smith, 2025 UT 45
In a recent decision, the Utah Supreme Court made it clear: judges—not juries—must decide if criminal charges are too old to prosecute. The ruling in State v. Smith, 2025 UT…
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Utah Court of Appeals Reverses Convictions in State v. Mclain Over Right to Counsel Violation
The Utah Court of Appeals has reversed the convictions of Michael Charles Mclain, who had been convicted on five counts of child sexual abuse, including three counts of rape of…
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Utah Appeals Court Overturns “Failure to Stop” Conviction in State v. Clegg, 2025 UT App 61
When can a person legally be charged for ignoring a police command? In State v. Clegg (2025 UT App 61), the Utah Court of Appeals tackled that question and clarified…
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Cedar City v. McCraw (2025 UT App 123)
The Utah Appeals Court has recently released an opinion vacating Criminal Mischief and Domestic Violence convictions for Jennifer McCraw based on claims of Ineffective Counsel. McCraw has been granted a…
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State v. Diviney, 2021 UT App 106
This appeal involved multiple issues, including the claim that the trial court improperly denied a motion for directed verdict. The Court discussed the proper standard of review for this issue.
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State v. Ricks, 2013 UT App 238
Did sufficient evidence support a conviction for depraved indifference murder?
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Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984)
What must be established in a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel in criminal cases?