Trial Attorney
Salt Lake City, Utah
As a public defender, I practiced primarily in the Third District Court handling felonies of all levels and class A misdemeanors. I’ve represented clients charged with murder, rape, sexual abuse, aggravated assault, possession of firearms, thefts, drugs, domestic violence, and DUI’s. Before District Court, I primarily practiced in the Salt Lake City Justice Court handling misdemeanors and infractions, such as DUI, domestic violence, theft, and traffic offenses. I aspired to represent each client with the same level of vigor, competence, and patience regardless of the severity of their allegation. I worked hard to be empathetic and sincere with every client who needed my help. I learned to excel at speaking with challenging people in challenging times by listening more than speaking.My experience includes jury trials, preliminary hearings, motions, pleadings, and sentencings. When I was not in court, I was preparing for court, coordinating with other agencies (Adult Probation and Parole, Salt Lake County Probation, and various treatment providers), visiting clients in the Salt Lake County Jail, doing legal research, and writing motions. After a few years at LDA, I became the intern coordinator and developed an intern curriculum that had not existed before. I supervised interns from the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, helped develop intern confidence in court, and ensured that interns had a worthwhile experience. From my efforts, the intern program became better organized and improved the quality of interns. I am proud that many of my former interns applied to work at LDA, were eventually hired, and are exceptional advocates for their clients.
