Criminal Appeals defends lawful convictions and ensures the fair administration of justice across Utah’s appellate courts. Under the direction of the solicitor general, the division represents the state in all appeals arising from capital and felony convictions and juvenile delinquency adjudications. The team also handles state post-conviction and federal habeas proceedings, including death penalty challenges, while advising county prosecutors on complex issues of criminal law and procedure.
This year, Criminal Appeals reached new levels of productivity following legislative funding that expanded the team. With the addition of six outstanding attorneys, the division filed 40 percent more briefs than the prior year—strengthening its capacity to defend just convictions while maintaining the highest standards of advocacy. Momentum within the division remains strong, with even greater gains expected in the year ahead.
With skill, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law, Criminal Appeals safeguards the integrity of Utah’s justice system and ensures that lawful convictions and sentences are upheld on appeal.
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At the trial of a man charged with rape, the prosecution introduced evidence that he sexually assaulted two other women under similar circumstances. The jury convicted him and the court of appeals affirmed the conviction. Our successful arguments in the case ensure the state will continue to have the necessary tools to appropriately prosecute serial rapists and sex offenders.
An offender who possessed several images clearly depicting child rape claimed that his offenses did not “involve force or coercion” and that he should not have to register for life as a sex offender. Our attorneys decisively won the case and the court agreed that his claims should be rejected and that his possession of these materials indicate that he poses “a lifetime risk to society.”
After a court dismissed charges of aggravated child abuse against a high school tennis coach who placed a sixteen-year-old girl in a strangulation hold, our attorneys successfully argued before the Utah Supreme Court that the charges should be reinstated.
Our attorneys expertly defended the conviction of a defendant for human trafficking of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, and other offenses.
