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 Megan Fowles | Apr 17, 2025 | Criminal Defense
Facts E.M., a 15-year-old refugee from South Sudan, was charged with sixteen felonies—including murder—after allegedly participating in a drive-by shooting that killed one individual and seriously injured four others. The shooting was reportedly motivated by racial...
by Megan Fowles | Apr 16, 2025 | Criminal Defense
Facts Dylan Stubbs was charged in late 2021 with multiple child sexual abuse offenses based on alleged incidents from 2017 to 2019. In January 2022, after a detention hearing, the district court ordered Stubbs to remain in custody without bail. Stubbs didn’t appeal...
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 Megan Fowles | Apr 14, 2025 | Criminal Defense
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 released because the State had not presented “substantial evidence to support...
by Megan Fowles | Apr 14, 2025 | Criminal Defense
Utah Supreme Court Clarifies Rape Shield Rule: Victims Cannot Be Compelled to Testify at Pretrial Hearings Under Rule 412 The decision, issued in State v. Jolley, 2025 UT 9, clarifies the scope of Utah’s rape shield law and sets a precedent for how trial courts must...
