No. 24-581

Utah v. Douglas A. Lovell

Lower Court: Utah
Docketed: 2024-11-26
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Relisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: aggravating-factors criminal-sentencing death-penalty ineffective-assistance-counsel mitigation-evidence strickland-standard
Latest Conference: 2025-02-28 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (from Petition)

Did the Utah Supreme Court violate this Court's binding case law when it failed to (1) properly assess Strickland deficient performance by considering the range of legitimate strategic reasons defense counsel may have had for not objecting to the State's cross-examination of one of Lovell's former ecclesiastical leaders, and (2) properly assess Strickland prejudice when, even assuming deficient performance, it failed to reweigh the totality of the aggravating and mitigating factors that still would have been before the jury absent any error by counsel?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Did the Utah Supreme Court violate binding case law by improperly assessing Strickland deficient performance and prejudice in a death penalty case involving a murder and rape?

Docket Entries

2025-03-03
Petition DENIED.
2025-03-03
Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent GRANTED.
2025-02-24
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/28/2025.
2025-02-21
Rescheduled.
2025-01-29
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/21/2025.
2025-01-28
2025-01-28
Reply of petitioner State of Utah filed. (Distributed)
2025-01-28
Reply of State of Utah submitted.
2025-01-14
Motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed by respondent Douglas A. Lovell.
2025-01-14
2025-01-14
Brief of Douglas A. Lovell in opposition submitted.
2025-01-14
Motion of Douglas A. Lovell for leave to proceed in forma pauperis submitted.
2024-12-26
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including January 27, 2025.
2024-12-23
Motion to extend the time to file a response from December 26, 2024 to January 27, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2024-12-23
Motion of Douglas A. Lovell for leave to proceed in forma pauperis submitted.
2024-12-23
Motion of Douglas A. Lovell for an extension of time submitted.
2024-11-22
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 26, 2024)
2024-10-21
Application (24A362) granted by Justice Gorsuch extending the time to file until November 22, 2024.
2024-10-11
Application (24A362) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from October 23, 2024 to December 22, 2024, submitted to Justice Gorsuch.

Attorneys

Douglas A. Lovell
Edwin Stanton WallWall Law Offices, Respondent
State of Utah
Stanford Edward PurserUtah Attorney General's Office, Petitioner