Todd Peterson, Author at Provo Criminal Defense Lawyer | Utah DUI Attorney

Wasatch County Prosecutor Files Charges in Cold Case

Todd Peterson — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 17:08:41 +0000

In December 1995, 17-year-old Krystal Beslanowitch’s body was found in the Provo River near Midway, Utah. She was found naked and it was determined that she had been bludgeoned to death by a rock. The police were unable to connect the girl’s death to any suspects and the case went cold until earlier this week when Joseph Simpson was charged with first degree murder of Ms. Beslanowitch.

Simpson, a former resident of Utah who now lives in Florida was charged with the murder earlier this week and will be extradited from Florida to stand trial in Heber. He has already been convicted and served time for a murder in Farmington, Utah in 1987 and was then released on parole in 1995. The murder took place about 8 months after he was released from prison. The new charge was brought against Simpson after some new DNA evidence linked him to the case.

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Don’t Let Tailgating Turn Into a DUI

Todd Peterson — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 20:28:59 +0000

This weekend is the much anticipated Holy War rivalry between the Brigham Young University and University of Utah football teams. This year the game will be played in Provo, at LaVell Edwards Stadium and while BYU is notoriously known as the driest campus in the nation, there are still those who like to tailgate like the rest of the world. So while you won’t be able to get drunk at the stadium that doesn’t mean you won’t be drunk enough to get pulled over on your way home, so make sure that if you plan on drinking to get the game kicked off right then have a designated driver in mind.

DUI penalties are very harsh in Utah and even if you are being charged with your first DUI you could still be facing jail time. Plus if you are convicted of a DUI you will automatically have your driver’s license suspended for 120 days as well as an alcohol restriction and interlock requirement imposed on your driver’s license. So if the possibility of saving lives isn’t enough to keep you from driving drunk just realize the mountain of legal consequences that could be coming your way if you get caught driving under the influence of alcohol. Spend your post game either celebrating or soaking your sorrows but don’t spend it in jail.

The post Don’t Let Tailgating Turn Into a DUI appeared first on Provo Criminal Defense Lawyer | Utah DUI Attorney.

Expunging Criminal Records in Utah County

Todd Peterson — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 16:11:54 +0000

The criminal justice system has continued to grow larger and larger since its inception. What was once the wild wild west, a generally lawless place where people dealt with their problems themselves, has become an overcriminalized society with a law on the books that in some form covers nearly every part of our lives. Due to this increase in the size of the criminal code a lot of people in our communities have criminal charges or convictions on their record. It may have been for something stupid that happened when they had a temporary lack of judgement, or it could be something that really isn’t even considered that criminal by most people, or was a complete mistake and a plea deal was entered just to save time and money. Whatever the circumstances, the takeaway is that a lot of people have a dark spot in their past that they are embarrassed about and would like to get rid of.

The Expungement Process

The legislature is aware that there are a lot of people that would like to get rid of their criminal history and because of that the expungement process has been created. Expungement basically just means having something erased from your criminal history. An individual who qualifies for an expungement can have their arrest or conviction removed from their criminal history through a fairly simple process of obtaining a certificate of eligibility and submitting paperwork to the court to have an order entered by the judge.

Expungement Attorney in Provo, Utah

If you have a criminal arrest or conviction on your record that you would have removed then call us today to find out if you’re eligible for an expungement. Depending on the type of charge you were convicted of and the amount of criminal convictions you have you may or may not be eligible so call us today for a free consultation.

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