State v. Williams
State v. Williams, 2025 UT App 118 (Oliver, J.)
Criminal
The Utah Court of Appeals held:
- Trial counsel was not ineffective assistance for failing to request removal of a juror after she admitted that a police witness was a “friend” who got her “boys out of a few little scrapes,” and the trial court did not plainly err by not sua sponte dismissing the juror.
- Even though the trial court plainly erred in informing the jury of the penalty for murder, there was no reasonable probability of a different outcome.
- The trial court did not abuse its discretion when it allowed the State to amend the information mid-trial because Defendant’s substantial rights were not prejudiced.
- Defendant did not show that he was denied his right to a meaningful appeal because the transcript of the second day of trial is missing.