State v. Arellano
State v. Arellano, 2026 UT App 19 (Luthy, J.)
Criminal Law
The Utah Court of Appeals held:
- The district court did not err in denying Defendant’s motion for directed verdict based on lack of proper identification.
- Defendant did not receive ineffective assistance when counsel elicited testimony from Defendant’s wife that was damaging to his case.
- Practice tip: Identification can be inferred from circumstantial evidence. A witness need not physically point out a defendant so long as the evidence is sufficient to permit the inference that the person on trial was the person who committed the crime.