State v. Courtney

CHRISTIANSEN, Judge:

¶1 Defendant Carl Mack Courtney appeals from his conviction for distribution of or arranging to distribute a controlled substance, a second degree felony. See Utah Code Ann. § 58-37-8 (1)(a)(ii) (LexisNexis 2012). Specifically, Defendant argues that he received ineffective assistance of counsel when his trial counsel failed to timely move for a mistrial after a potential juror allegedly tainted the prospective juror pool. We reverse the trial court's denial of the mistrial motion, vacate Defendant's conviction, and remand the case for further proceedings.

¶2 Defendant was…