District Courts - Utah Criminal Defense Lawyer
The Utah district court system has jurisdiction over all levels of
criminal offenses, both
felony
and misdemeanor. Utah justice courts are limited in their jurisdiction
to class B
misdemeanor
and lower level offenses. If you are facing criminal prosecution in a
Utah district court, it is vital that you have an
experienced
criminal
defense attorney on your
side. Stephen Howard has achieved positive results for clients facing
charges in district court for charges including murder, aggravated
robbery, aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, drug charges, and
many more. Based in Salt Lake City, Mr. Howard offers legal services to
clients throughout Utah.
Contact us today to
schedule an initial consultation.
Criminal Jurisdiction for Utah District Courts
A district court in Utah has jurisdiction over both felony and
misdemeanor criminal offenses. The court's jurisdiction is typically
limited to cases that occur within the geographical boundaries of the
county within which the court is located. If there is a justice court
that has concurrent geographical jurisdiction with the district court,
class B misdemeanor and lower level offenses will initially be filed in
that justice court. But all class A misdemeanor and felony charges must
be heard in the district court.
Some larger counties in Utah (notably Salt Lake, Davis, and Utah
counties) have a criminal case load sufficient to justify multiple
district court locations within the county. Case assignments are
typically made based on the location within the county where the
offense occurs. For example, charges occuring in Salt Lake and West
Valley are normally filed in the Salt Lake Department of the Third
District Court; whereas cases arising in Sandy, South Jordan, or Draper
are normally heard in the West Jordan Department of the Third District
Court.
Consequences for Criminal Conviction in a Utah District Court
Because the jurisdiction of Utah's district courts includes both
misdemeanors and felonies, the potential penalties for a conviction in
a district court criminal case can vary widely. While there are a few
criminal offenses under Utah law that carry mandatory prison terms, in
most cases a district court judge has the option of granting probation.
Depending on the nature and level of the underlying criminal charge, a
district court may order a defendant's probation to be supervised by
either Utah's Adult Probation and Parole ("AP&P") or by a
private probation provider. In Salt Lake County, the court has the
option of assigning Salt Lake County Probation Services to supervise
probation in class A misdemeanor and lower level charges.
In Utah felony cases, if a district court judge denies a request for
probation and instead orders a prison term to be served, the court
enters an "indeterminate" sentencing order. Under Utah law, a district
court judge cannot determine the exact length of a defendant's prison
sentence. Instead, a district court judge can only order a range of
time to be served (e.g. 0-5 years, 1-15 years, 5 years to life). Utah
law permits the death penalty to be imposed only by a jury in an
aggravated murder case.
In Utah misdemeanor cases, a court may impose jail time or probation,
or a combination of the two. The maximum amount of jail time depends on
the level of the misdemeanor. Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up
to one year in jail; class B misdemeanors have a maximum penalty of 180
days in jail; class C misdemeanors carry a potential of 90 days in jail.
In addition to jail or prison time, a district court in Utah can impose
fines and surchages that can range into the thousands of dollars. With
just a few exceptions, most offenses allow a district to impose a lower
fine amount if the judge believes doing so is appropriate.
Finding a Utah Criminal Defense Lawyer in Salt Lake City
If you are facing criminal charges in one of Utah's district courts, an
experienced criminal
defense lawyer can ensure that your
rights are protected. Based in Salt Lake City, Stephen Howard has
achieved not guilty verdicts, dismissals, and appellate reversals in
some of the most serious criminal charges on the books in Utah.
Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation and case analysis.