The Appellate Group

State v. Hassan

State v. Hassan, 2026 UT App 132 (Luthy, J)

Criminal Law

The Utah Court of Appeals held:

(1) Defendant’s four claims of ineffective assistance failed: [1] counsel was not ineffective for failing to move for a directed verdict based on inherent improbability; [2] counsel was not ineffective for failing to move for directed verdict on the rape of a child charge; [3] Defendant was not prejudiced by counsel’s failure to request an instruction against using propensity evidence; and [4] counsel was not ineffective for failing to request an instruction forbidding conviction based on abuse of the victim’s sister.
(2) The district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting bodycam footage of police interviewing the victim at her high school.

Read the full court opinion