State v. Chase
State v. Chase, 2025 UT App 158 (Mortensen, J.)
Criminal
The Utah Court of Appeals held:
- The district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting autopsy photographs and photographs of Defendant’s tattoos.
- Counsel was not ineffective by failing to object to the State’s reference during closing to Defendant using drugs, even when Defendant produced a negative drug test.
- Defendant was not prejudiced by his counsel’s failure to request a self-defense instruction.
- Practice tip: Courts most often refer to “spatter” evidence not “splatter” evidence.