by Megan Fowles | Jun 4, 2025 | Criminal Defense, Utah Appellate Court Opinions
What Happened Dustin Giles Andrus was convicted of several crimes after a months-long sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl he met online. One of those charges was human trafficking of a child. The State claimed that Andrus offered the girl money, housing, and...
by Megan Fowles | May 27, 2025 | Utah Appellate Court Opinions
The Utah Court of Appeals sent a clear message to the legal world: using AI doesn’t excuse sloppy lawyering. In Garner v. Kadince, 2025 UT App 80, the court sanctioned two attorneys for filing a legal brief that cited fake cases generated by ChatGPT. One of the...
by Benjamin Keller | May 1, 2025 | Utah Appellate Court Opinions
Facts of the Case Jones was convicted at trial on three counts of assault against a peace officer. While police conducted a roadside DUI investigation, Jones drove by at a high speed and swerved within 1-2 feet of the officers. Three officers were allegedly standing...
by Benjamin Keller | Apr 24, 2025 | Criminal Defense, Utah Appellate Court Opinions
This case involves an internet sting operation conducted by an undercover police officer posing as someone offering a minor for sex with adults. The Court of Appeals reviewed whether Austin had taken a substantial step towards attempting to perform sexual acts with a...
by Benjamin Keller | Apr 16, 2025 | Utah Appellate Court Opinions
Facts of the Case Lightel pled guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor based on his possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM or child pornography). An adult convicted of this offense in Utah generally must register as a sex offender for life....
by Benjamin Keller | Mar 20, 2025 | Criminal Defense, Utah Appellate Court Opinions
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 claim that the district court erred when denying his motion to dismiss based on destruction of...
