State v. Trujillo

Chief Justice Durrant, opinion of the Court:

Introduction

¶1 Timothy James Trujillo challenges his conviction under Utah's witness retaliation statute. 1 This statute makes it a crime to direct a threat of harm or a harmful action against a witness or a person closely associated with that witness as retaliation against that witness. It is undisputed in this case, however, that the witnesses-who were the subject of the alleged threat-were not present when Mr. Trujillo made the threat. And the State has not argued that Mr. Trujillo intended to have someone relay the threat to the witnesses, nor…