UT - Kouri Richins, 33, Author, wife, mom, charged in husband’s “unexpected” death last year, May 2023-- MEDIA, MAPS, TIMELINE **NO DISCUSSION**

[Seattle1]

Judge denies motion to remove prosecutors from Kouri Richins trial

Members of the Summit County Attorney's Office will remain on the high profile case of Kouri Richins after a judge denied a motion to have them removed .

www.fox13now.com

8/8/24

 

[Seattle1]

Summit County attorneys will be allowed to prosecute Kouri Richins case - Park Record

Summit County prosecutors will remain on the Kouri Richins case after her previous defense team tried to remove the County Attorney’s Office.

www.parkrecord.com

8/8/24

Summit County prosecutors will remain on the Kouri Richins case after her previous defense team tried to remove the County Attorney’s Office.

Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik this week dismissed the motion to disqualify prosecutors saying there is not any credible evidence to suggest local attorneys and jail staff violated the Kamas mother of three’s rights.

“Disqualification of any attorney is not necessary to maintain the fairness of these adversary proceedings,” Mrazik ruled, adding the motion was made without a credible basis.

Kouri appeared in court Thursday afternoon wearing a gray blazer and black long-sleeve shirt with her hair down. She only spoke briefly to address the judge. Wendy Lewis, one of Kouri’s new defense attorneys, was seated beside her.

Lewis agreed with Mrazik that the County Attorney’s Office did not intentionally or purposefully intrude upon the attorney-client relationship between Kouri and her former attorney, Skye Lazaro, and the Ray Quinney & Nebeker law firm.

 

[Seattle1]

https://www.abc4.com/richins/judge-dismisses-motion-kouri-richins/

8/8/24

The motion sought to disqualify the prosecution due to an allegation that prosecutors violated Richins’ Sixth Amendment rights by intruding on attorney-client privileges. The concerns rose after jail staff and a prosecutor allegedly accessed phone calls between Richins and her attorney.

However, documents say that after the jail staff member and attorney realized the calls were with an attorney they immediately turned off the recordings and did not hear any privileged information.

For this reason, Judge Richard Mrazik ruled there was no “credible evidence” of an intentional intrusion into the attorney-client privilege and dismissed the motion. The defense provided no opposition during the hearing to the judge’s conclusion.

[..]

While the hearing was heavily leaning in favor of the prosecution since the start, State Prosecutor Margaret Olson shared some strongly-worded opinions on the motion, alluding to the possibility that defense lawyers were purposefully using it to pave the way for a possible retrial in the future.

She called the accusation that they violated Richins’ rights “speculative at best” and “bad faith at worst,” adding that if it wasn’t thoroughly addressed it could be a possible “grenade” in the future of the trial.

[..]

Judge Mrazik redirected the conversation, saying he had to “respectfully disagree,” stating, “Let’s just stay focused on what was in the motion and what evidence there is if any.” Mrazik reiterated that there was no evidence of a prosecutor intruding or violating Richins’ rights and therefore they could dismiss the motion and move on to the preliminary hearing.

“I can understand why your office is really pissed with the content of that motion, but [the evidence] is not enough to form a sixth amendment violation,” Mrazik said.

 

[Seattle1]

Live Blog: Kouri Richins in court for preliminary hearing

KPCW's live blog has the latest details from reporter Connor Thomas who's in the courtroom during Kouri Richins' preliminary hearing at Summit County’s Third District Court. See complete coverage of the Kouri Richins case here.

www.kpcw.org

Live Blog: Kouri Richins in court for preliminary hearing​

Published August 26, 2024 at 10:59 AM MDT

Summit County investigators never found fentanyl pills​

Posted 4 minutes ago

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis has pointed out by cross-examining Summit County Det. Jeff O’Driscoll that they haven’t found pills that tested positive for fentanyl.
Kouri Richins’ housekeeper told investigators she sold her light blue or green pills that were fentanyl. O’Driscoll says he doesn’t know if they were fentanyl for sure but that they match the description of fentanyl pills commonly sold on the street.

State lodges second relevance objection

Posted 9 minutes ago

Judge Richard Mrazik overruled this one.
Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth doesn’t see how examining Det. Jeff O’Driscoll’s interviews with Kouri Richins’ housekeeper relates to whether there’s probable cause for a trial.
Mrazik seemed to agree but is allowing defense attorney Wendy Lewis to demonstrate relevance with more questioning.
The state has called O’Driscoll in the spirit of fairness to allow Lewis to cross-examine him. She was not Richins’ attorney during the detention hearing when the detective last testified.


Investigators used drug charges to persuade Richins’ housekeeper to testify:

Posted 10 minutes ago

Det. Jeff O’Driscoll had said in a previous hearing this is a common tactic in law enforcement. Prosecutors believe Kouri Richins would have obtained fentanyl from a housekeeper she employed, which they say she used to poison her husband Eric.
Defense attorney Wendy Lewis is asking O’Driscoll about his interviews with the housekeeper.
Lewis asks whether the housekeeper told investigators overdosed on fentanyl. O’Driscoll doesn’t remember.
After their interviews, Summit County investigators informed other authorities the housekeeper was being cooperative. They told the housekeeper that her cooperation in Richins’ case could reduce her other charges.

Richins associates subject of cross examination​

Posted 16 minutes ago

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis asked Detective Jeff O’Driscoll why investigators didn’t look at Richins’ alleged paramour.
But Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth objected, citing irrelevance at this stage of the case. Lewis says the paramour could be an alternative suspect
But Judge Richard Mrazik sustained it, saying that’s a matter for trial, not the hearing to determine if a trial should happen.
Lewis moved on to Richins’ alleged drug dealer, and asked O’Driscoll about his interviews with her.

O’Driscoll discusses initial interview with Kouri Richins​

Posted 20 minutes ago

The Summit County detective first interviewed Kouri Richins in April 2023. He says an attorney wasn’t present for that interview and that he didn’t know she had an attorney until midway through the conversation.
Lewis asked whether he alerted Richins she could have an attorney present. He remembers saying so midway through the interview.

No fentanyl found in Richins home day of Eric Richins’ death​

Posted 26 minutes ago

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis is cross-examining Det. Jeff O’Driscoll of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The cross has focused on the initial search of the Richins’ home the day of Eric Richins’ death. Lewis asked if any illicit drug such as fentanyl was found the day of his death. O’Driscoll said no, despite toxicology showing Eric Richins died of a fentanyl overdose.
Prescription drugs may have been found the day of the death. THC edibles were later found, and months after the initial search, copper cups were seized.

Summit County detective takes the stand​

Posted 32 minutes ago

Detective Jeff O’Driscoll has been sworn in. The state did not ask him questions, so Richins’ attorney Wendy Lewis began with the cross examination.

Preliminary hearing underway​

Posted 36 minutes ago

Summit County Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth is providing the court with an overview of the state’s preliminary case.
The witness list includes Det. Jeff O’Driscoll, the investigator the state called in Richins’ detention hearing. At that hearing, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik ruled the Kamas mother of three should be held without bail until today’s prelim.

Richins' hearing to begin soon​

Posted 42 minutes ago

People are slowly filtering into the courtroom for Kouri Richins' preliminary hearing that was delayed more than an hour.

Kouri Richins preliminary hearing delayed​

Posted an hour ago

Kouri Richins is in Third District Court for her preliminary hearing. It has been delayed at least 30 minutes. No word yet on when it is expected to resume Monday.

@Niner

 

[Niner]

Thanks for all that info @Seattle1

 

[Seattle1]

8/26/24

Started streaming 3 minutes ago #KouriRichins #Utah #LawAndCrime

The Utah mom accused of fatally poisoning with husband with fentanyl-laced Moscow mule cocktails is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing. Kouri Richins, 33, stands accused of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, by poisoning him with the "mixed" drink in March 2022. After her husband’s death, she went on to write a children’s book about grieving a dad’s death and even appeared on a local talk show touting her book. Prosecutors will call witnesses and present evidence they believe proves Richins murdered her husband.

 

[Seattle1]

Live Blog: Kouri Richins in court for preliminary hearing

KPCW's live blog has the latest details from reporter Connor Thomas who's in the courtroom during Kouri Richins' preliminary hearing at Summit County’s Third District Court. See complete coverage of the Kouri Richins case here.

www.kpcw.org

Live Blog: Kouri Richins in court for preliminary hearing​

Published August 26, 2024 -- PM

Housekeeper sold Kouri Richins fentanyl after Eric Richins’ death, detective says

Posted 26 minutes ago
During defense attorney Wendy Lewis’ second conversation with Det. Jeff O’Driscoll while he was on the stand, the detective said they believe Kouri Richins’ housekeeper sold Richins fentanyl three times. That includes once after Eric Richins’ death.

The court broke for lunch and O’Driscoll left the stand at 12:30 p.m. The preliminary hearing resumes at 1:30 p.m.

State asks detective about fentanyl 'indicated' in Richins home

Posted 35 minutes ago

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis stopped cross-examining Det. Jeff O’Driscoll shortly after 12:15 p.m.

Summit County Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth then rose for his redirect, and asked O’Driscoll more questions about fentanyl being “indicated” and being “found.”

The distinction is that tests can find precursors or related substances that point to fentanyl’s presence.

Fentanyl was indicated but not identified in the THC edibles in the plastic bag they were found in during a search of the Richins home.

Summit County investigators seized a voice recorder from the Richins home

Posted 40 minutes ago

Det. Jeff O’Driscoll says the last time they executed a search warrant in the Eric Richins murder case was one to two weeks ago.

It was to seize a voice recorder located in Eric and Kouri Richins’ home.

Cross examination moved on from the item quickly, and it’s not immediately clear who found the recorder or what, if anything, is on it.

 

[Seattle1]

Live Blog: Kouri Richins in court for preliminary hearing

KPCW's live blog has the latest details from reporter Connor Thomas who's in the courtroom during Kouri Richins' preliminary hearing at Summit County’s Third District Court. See complete coverage of the Kouri Richins case here.

www.kpcw.org

Live Blog: Kouri Richins in court for preliminary hearing​

Published August 26, 2024

Digital forensics expert discusses calls, texts between Kouri Richins, alleged drug dealer

Posted 6 minutes ago

Summit County prosecutor Joe Hill is asking witness and investigative consultant Chris Kotrodimos about Kouri Richins’ deleted phone data.

There are multiple calls and texts around Valentine’s Day 2022, including around 30 on Feb. 11 itself. That’s when prosecutors claim Richins first tried to kill her husband with fentanyl.

There are more communications from the evening of Feb. 26. Richins was allegedly communicating with housekeeper who sold her fentanyl.

The housekeeper’s phone data shows where she traveled Feb. 26, based on which tower was servicing her phone. Kotrodimos says she traveled from Draper to Summit County and back.

Hill and Kotrodimos are going through screenshots of text messages from the housekeeper’s associates. The screenshots are in evidence binders and not visible to the rest of the court.

A lot of data' deleted from Kouri Richins’ phone around time of husband’s death, expert says

Posted 20 minutes ago

Investigative consultant Chris Kotrodimos is testifying that call logs, texts, web history and web searches were deleted from Kouri Richins’ primary phone from January to mid-March 2022.

Richins is accused of fatally poisoning her husband March 4, 2022. Summit County prosecutors are trying to prove there is probable cause for a murder trial.

Kotrodimos says his forensic analysis can’t show who deleted the information or how.

Hearing resumes, digital investigator takes the stand

Posted 27 minutes ago

The court has sworn in former Salt Lake City homicide investigator Chris Kotrodimos. The state is using him as a digital forensics expert and has retained him as an investigative consultant.