State v. Rushton

Justice Himonas,

opinion of the Court:

INTRODUCTION

¶ 1 This ease clarifies the interpretation of the phrase “single criminal objective” in the context of the mandatory joinder statute, Utah Code § 76-1-401, which prohibits the State from prosecuting a defendant in separate actions for “conduct [that] may establish separate offenses under a single criminal episode,” id. § 76-1-402(2). A “single criminal episode” is defined as “all conduct which is closely related in time and is incident to an attempt or an accomplishment of a single criminal objective.” Id. § 76-1-401 (emphasis added).

¶ 2 The…