The Utah Justice System includes a very important record keeping function.  Record keeping for criminal cases is especially important as an earlier criminal conviction can often be used to enhance (increase) a future charge for a similar crime alleged against the same defendant.  On the other hand, the lack of a criminal record can be used to seek reduction of the penalties or sentence imposed in the event of a conviction.

The actual criminal case records are maintained by the Court Clerk at the courthouse, and one of those records is called a Docket.  Each case has its own docket which may be referred to as a Case Docket or Court Docket.  The Docket is a summary of the filings and proceedings that have occured in a criminal case. In some cases the docket will be quite detailed; in other cases it will be almost abreviated.

Not all Utah Courts have granted online access to criminal case dockets, but most have done so.  Given recent directives it is likely that all Utah Courts will have criminal case dockets online by the end of 2009, perhaps sooner.

The Utah Justice Foundation offers a free Court Docket Request Program. This program is for criminal defendants only at this time. It is not intended for attorneys or for the general public to check on anyone other than himself or herself.

If you are qualified, just complete an online form and we will search online records for the docket to your court case, and then email it to you.  This is a free service of the Utah Justice Foundation, which is provided in order to allow Defendants to be informed of developments in their cases.  This in turn may allow Defendants to seek protection of their rights at the earliest possible moment. 

Visit UtahJusticeFoundation.org and click on the Request a Court Docket link under the Quick Links.

Please note that the Utah Justice Foundation does not provide legal advice. Always consult with an attorney at the earliest possible moment to protect your legal rights.

The Utah Justice Foundation is Seeking Justice for ALL in Utah℠

The Utah Justice System does not generally notify Defendants when a warrant is issued for their arrest.  In many cases the Defendant may not even know that a case exists.

For example, it is not uncommon for law enforcement officers to advise the targets of their investigation, “Just tell me what happened and everything will be just fine.”  The target explains everything, incriminates himself/herself but the officer holds off on an arrest.  Instead, the officer writes it up later (sometimes many weeks later), and submits the case to a Judge by way of a court pleading called an Information.  Based on the Information, the Judge has the power to issue an arrest warrant for the target, who would then be called the Defendant in a criminal case.

Once the warrant is active, the Defendant could face jail time if he or she is detained by a law enforcement officer for something as simple as a a broken tail light. This is true because a warrant check is standard procedure whenever a person is detained.  Indeed, most police cruisers carry a computer for just this purpose. So, if the warrant check reveals an active warrant, then the Defendant will likely spend time in jail until the matter can be resolved or bail is posted.

Further, if the bail amount is high enough, or there is no bail allowed (rare), or law enforcement takes a special interest in the case, a Defendant may be sought out and picked up based on the warrant.  So, both the existence of the warrant and the bail amount, if any, for the warrant are important.

The Utah Justice Foundation offers a free Warrant Check Program. This program is for criminal defendants only. It is not intended for attorneys or for the general public to check on anyone other than himself or herself.  If qualified, just complete an online form and we will search online records for an active warrant.  This is a free service of the Utah Justice Foundation, which is provided in order to allow Defendants to be informed of their rights at the earliest possible moment. 

Visit UtahJusticeFoundation.org and click on the Request a Warrant Check link under the Quick Links.

Please note that the Utah Justice Foundation does not provide legal advice. Always consult with an attorney at the earliest possible moment to protect your legal rights.

The Utah Justice Foundation is Seeking Justice for ALL in Utah℠

The Utah Justice Foundation provides this News Flash to help get the information to those who need it most!

Summary: The 2009 Community Crime Prevention Seminar Series in West Valley City began January 12, 2009. This monthly seminar series will be presented in a lecture format and is part of West Valley City’s Neighborhood Services Office programs designed to provide helpful information to the city’s residents.

Who Can Benefit: The Crime Prevention Seminar Series is designed to assist West Vally City residents to recognize issues early and to know how and where to access services for assistance. These seminars may be informative for non-WVC residents as well.

When & Where: The Crime Prevention Seminar series will be held fom 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the West Valley City Family Fitness Center, 5415 West 3100 South. The dates and topics for upcoming monthly seminars are as follows:

• March 9th – National Inhaland and Poisons Awareness Month
• April 13th – National Alcohol Awareness Month
• May 11th – National Safe Kids Month (Internet Safety)
• June 8th – Graffiti Awareness

Other & More Information: There is no charge to attend the seminars. For more information, please contact Craig Thomas, Neighborhood Services Manager, at (801) 963-3285 or via email.

Source: For direct link to the Neighborhood Services page of the West Valley City website, click here.

The Utah Justice Foundation provides this News Flash to help get the information to those who need it most!

Summary: The 2009 Community Crime Prevention Seminar Series in West Valley City will begin Monday, January 12, 2009. This monthly seminar series will be presented in a lecture format and is part of West Valley City’s Neighborhood Services Office programs designed to provide helpful information to the city’s residents.

Who Can Benefit: The Crime Prevention Seminar Series is designed to assist West Vally City residents to recognize issues early and to know how and where to access services for assistance. These seminars may be informative for non-WVC residents as well.

When & Where: The first Crime Prevention Seminar will be held Monday, January 12, 2009 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the West Valley City Family Fitness Center, 5415 West 3100 South. The topic for this first of eleven seminars will be Community Resources for Gang Prevention and Intervention. This seminar will be presented by staff and mentors from Project 180.

Other & More Information: There is no charge to attend the seminars. For more information, please contact Craig Thomas, Neighborhood Services Manager, at 801-963-3285 or via email.

Source: For direct link to the Neighborhood Services page of the West Valley City website, click here.

The Utah Justice Foundation provides this News Flash to help get the information to those who need it most!

Summary: More than 11,000 Utah children are impacted by divorce each year, including 2,500 children in Salt Lake County. To address the needs of these children, the Utah State Courts offer a Divorce Education for Children class twice each month at no charge to participants.

Who Can Benefit: The Divorce Education for Children class is for children ages 9 to 12, whose parents have filed for divorce or whose parents are divorced.

When & Where: Classes for January through March 2009 have been scheduled as indicated below. Classes are usually offered the second Monday of each month in the evening and the last Saturday of the month in the morning. All classes will be held at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse, 450 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

• Janaury 12th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
• January 31st from 10:00 to Noon.
• February 9th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
• February 28th from 10:00 to Noon.
• March 9th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
• March 28th from 10:00 to Noon.

Other & More Information: There is no charge to attend the classes. Advance registration is required. To register or for more information, please contact Alyssa White at 801-578-3897 or via email. For a brochure click here.

Source: For a direct feed of News Releases from the Utah Courts click here.