UT - Kouri Richins, 33, Author, wife, mom, charged in husband’s unexpected death last year, May 2023 #2

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In court proceedings on Friday, Richins got visibly emotional, local CBS affiliate KUTV reported.

Her lawyer, Skye Lazaro, appeared to try to console her before the judge.

Lazaro told KUTV that Richins was upset because she hadn’t seen her kids in a while.

“This is hard. She’s been in custody. She’s lost her kids,” Lazaro said. “She’s going through a lot. All she wanted from the beginning was to grieve her husband.”

In court on Friday, Lazaro asked the judge for more time to prepare for a preliminary hearing, which the judge granted.

“My hope is by November we’ll have a good idea as to where we’re at,” Lazaro said.
themessenger.com

Lawyer for Utah Mom Accused of Poisoning Husband for Insurance Money Says It's 'Hard' for Her to Be Away From Kids

The lawyer for the Utah mother accused of poisoning her husband with fentanyl said in an emotional court hearing that it’s hard for her to be away from her kids.
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RickshawFan said:
Ahem....did I speculate ghost-writing of that book early on in our threads?

Eyes reddened by crying, mom and aspiring children’s book author Kouri Richins joined a Zoom business meeting with ghostwriter Shane Walter late last year from her home in Kamas, Utah.

people.com

Children's Author Accused of Poisoning Husband with Fentanyl – Her Side of the Story: 'A Lot Will Come Out at Trial' (Exclusive)

Kouri Richins, now 33, is accused of murdering her husband, Eric Richins, for financial gain. But in exclusive interviews with PEOPLE, friends of Kouri point to evidence they say does not add up.
people.com people.com

IMO anyone who "writes" a book about her LDS murdered husband and references "Ladder Day Saints" [sic] doesn't have the brains to author said book. That's an outlandish error. The whole thing is outlandish, but if you think LDS is Ladder Day Saints, you are really out of touch. On second thoughts, maybe she lifted the whole thing: watch for a writer to come out of the woodwork, maybe at trial.
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In 2020 KR was an active member of a Facebook group for authors named ‘Children’s Books Authors and Illustrators: Publishing, Marketing and Selling.’

At that time there was also another successful author in that group who was answering questions and posting marketing tips to other authors after her own children’s book hit Amazon’s Best Seller list.

The Aussie author wrote the book about her own mother’s passing to help her young children while grieving her loss. The author illustrates her own children in her book and the storyline is how her late mother becomes their guardian angel and will always be with them.

Such an odd coincidence (to me) that both KR and the Aussie author were both conversing in the very same Facebook group at the same time and both of their books have very similar storylines. JMO

Here’s the Current Affair interview with the Aussie author after her book hit the best sellers list.

 
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SteveS said:
Appearances can be deceiving ...

By courtroom approach, I don't get any sense that KR's attorney is up to the task of mounting a significant defense for her. It looks like she is spending more time on wardrobe than case files, and trying to put on a Pretty Attorney Show for the cameras more than anything else. The delays aren't aggressive or meaningful, and her manner conveys like most of what is happening is a lack of comprehension and preparation on the case.

Then on her law firm's website, I read this:

Skye Lazaro is an experienced corporate and criminal defense attorney. She is Chair of the Firm’s White Collar, Criminal Defense & Government Investigations, and Cannabis Law Groups. She represents companies and individuals in all facets of government investigations, including political investigations, pre-file investigations, grand jury investigations, and other government enforcement actions. Her focus on pre-indictment advocacy, which includes providing vital factual context and legal argument on behalf of clients, has helped numerous individuals – including several formally identified as “targets” – avoid prosecution entirely. Skye has successfully defended a broad range of criminal cases including domestic violence allegations, sex crimes, drug crimes, property crimes, DUI, white-collar crimes, homicide, violent crimes, and juvenile defense. Skye also has extensive trial experience, representing clients in over one hundred jury trials throughout her career- including some of the region’s most complex and high-profile criminal matters.

So is she slyly biding her time, after which she will unleash a superb and daunting defense? Or is she just getting her name and face into public consciousness for future work, milking the clock slowly and with little to do, while her client is teased with hope that doesn't exist, and never did?

When it finally gets to the real deal and goes to trial, this should be interesting. But it may take a while.
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IMO the vogue-look is to counter what happened at the beginning of this case: a lot of negative comments about Lazaro and the fact that she looked Adams-family, as though this meant she couldn't do her job. Now, we have the vogue-look, and people are using that as evidence she's not doing her job. She can't win! Typical plight of women in high-profile professions.

I would also point out that in the Arias case, Juan Martinez had a whole fan-base scrutinizing his tie choice, but no one was suggesting tie-flair made him incompetent. Natch, he's a guy.

I haven't seen anything out-of-place in how Lazaro is conducting the case ( although I imagine KR thinks there is, since she's languishing in jail but "innocent" haha). We've only done scheduling and a bond hearing, certainly not the meat of a trial. I am concerned about the venue, though: I'm not sure the judge is up to it, and would rather it transpired in a more significant location (like SLC).

Lazaro's effectiveness should get measured in what evidence she's able to get suppressed IMO.

IMO KR is gonna fire Lazaro for not getting her out of jail fast enough. And, she will thereby shoot herself in the foot and get stuck there an extra year or two (viz. Sarah Boone). I'm not sure Lazaro would even mind getting fired. It might paradoxically be a boost to her career ('cos the stories will be flying, and most people find her client unlikable), and she has trouble hiding a grimace whenever she talks to KR at the end of an appearance, so maybe she'd be pleased as punch for a sayonara.
 
imstilla.grandma said:
In court proceedings on Friday, Richins got visibly emotional, local CBS affiliate KUTV reported.

Her lawyer, Skye Lazaro, appeared to try to console her before the judge.

Lazaro told KUTV that Richins was upset because she hadn’t seen her kids in a while.

“This is hard. She’s been in custody. She’s lost her kids,” Lazaro said. “She’s going through a lot. All she wanted from the beginning was to grieve her husband.”

In court on Friday, Lazaro asked the judge for more time to prepare for a preliminary hearing, which the judge granted.

“My hope is by November we’ll have a good idea as to where we’re at,” Lazaro said.
themessenger.com

Lawyer for Utah Mom Accused of Poisoning Husband for Insurance Money Says It's 'Hard' for Her to Be Away From Kids

The lawyer for the Utah mother accused of poisoning her husband with fentanyl said in an emotional court hearing that it’s hard for her to be away from her kids.
themessenger.com themessenger.com
Click to expand...
Where are the tears? Lazaro does certain gestures to cue KR when to "do emotion". She once dramatically handed KR a tissue, even though KR was showing no signs of weeping. Another trick is to do fake comfort with one hand on KR's back; the media "reads" this as "KR was distressed". IMO all KR cares about is herself and that she's not free. I don't see any grief there, just petulance, spite, and tears for herself. Dangerous woman.

The Behavior Panel has a schtick about psychopaths doing emotion, but not having any. See especially their video on Erin Caffey.
 
At last Friday's [Preliminary Hearing] Scheduling Conference, Judge Mrazik said he felt some compulsion to keep the trial moving as fast as possible, given that Richins is in custody, but granted the request to reschedule the conference 60 days later, or Nov 1, 2023, at 1:30 pm.

However, the Court's concern about prolonging the Preliminary Hearing is more about protecting KR's civil rights, and has nothing to do with Skye Lazaro getting KR out of jail! To be clear, that ship sailed after the pretrial Detention Hearing held on June 12, 2023, where the State met its burden pursuant to Subsection 77-20-201(1) or Utah Constitution, Article I, Section 8., and after KR's defense failed to appeal the decision within 30 days.

The purpose of the pending Preliminary Hearing is to determine whether probable cause exists to show the crime was committed, and whether probable cause exists to show the defendant was the person who committed the crime.

If, after receiving evidence and listening to witnesses' testimony, the judge finds probable cause that the defendant committed the crime, the defendant is bound over for trial.

If the judge concludes the State did not meet its burden and/or there is insufficient evidence, the case is dismissed, and KR will be released from jail. IMO, that's not exactly a worry here.

Also, charges may be amended at the preliminary hearing.

(i.e., We learned at Friday's hearing the prosecutor most recently met with the AG about the financial crimes/insurance fraud).

Criminal Processes

www.utcourts.gov www.utcourts.gov

Enacted by Chapter 4, 2021 Special Session 2
 
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neesaki said:
I was thinking the same re bolded. Many of the comments on the YouTube are commenting on how she should be spending more time reading than on her looks, lol.
Also, her rather girlish, silly mannerisms and giggling are unprofessional, IMO.
I mean, I do not think KR is innocent, but this is a very serious matter and Lazarro comes across like she’s just passing time or something. IMO
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I do think she is definitely trying to stand out but her wardrobe choices are working against her.
 
neesaki said:
Anyone have any idea why they are doing a Preliminary Hearing versus a Grand Jury?
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While the State Constitutions of more than 20 States provide that crimes may be prosecuted by either indictment or information, at the option of the prosecutor, in my experience, the preliminary hearing has become the almost exclusive means of instituting prosecution in Utah, and the neighboring states of Colorado, and Wyoming.

For example, in the fiscal year 2020 ending June 30, 91,466 criminal charges initiated in Utah were by information/citation, compared to -0- criminal charges initiated by indictment.

Possible reasons why KR's case is being prosecuted by information (i.e., preliminary hearing)-- as cited in Utah's Grand Jury Reform, as amended by Chapter 25, 2018 General Session:

  • Preliminary Hearing probable cause standard is very low.
  • Judge must view all evidence in light most favorable to prosecution & draw all reasonable inferences in prosecutor’s favor. State v. Schmidt 2015 UT 65.
  • Defendant does not have a right to confront witnesses. State v. Timmerman 2009 UT 58
  • Reliable hearsay is admissible Rule 1102, Utah Rules of Evidence.
  • Most credibility determinations are outside the reach of a preliminary hearing judge. State v. Goins 2017 UT 61.
  • Defendant’s ability to subpoena a victim witness is limited. State v. Lopez 2020 UT 61.
  • A preliminary hearing is not a discovery device for the defense, it is only a probable cause determination. State v. Aleh. 2015 UT App 195.
In addition to the reasons cited above, I also don't think the key witness (CL) who provided KR with the fentanyl pills could/would have testified as freely in front of a grand jury where the witness's lawyer could not be present. In other words, the privilege against self-incrimination is one of our nation's most cherished principles and is perhaps the mainstay of the adversary system here. JMO

 
Seattle1 said:
At last Friday's [Preliminary Hearing] Scheduling Conference, Judge Mrazik said he felt some compulsion to keep the trial moving as fast as possible, given that Richins is in custody, but granted the request to reschedule the conference 60 days later, or Nov 1, 2023, at 1:30 pm.
Click to expand...

I have Nov 3, 2023 for a status conference hearing @ 1:30pm. Is mine NOT correct? or is it on Nov. 1st.
 
Luna20 said:
I do think she is definitely trying to stand out but her wardrobe choices are working against her.
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I love her wardrobe choices. She wears well-fitted, well-covered, conservative colors. The cameras have no focus on the prosecution, but last time I saw, they were not put-together at all. I found this very distracting: usually, you see attorneys better-dressed.

Richins looks positively mousy sitting next to her attorney.
 
osu said:
In 2020 KR was an active member of a Facebook group for authors named ‘Children’s Books Authors and Illustrators: Publishing, Marketing and Selling.’

At that time there was also another successful author in that group who was answering questions and posting marketing tips to other authors after her own children’s book hit Amazon’s Best Seller list.

The Aussie author wrote the book about her own mother’s passing to help her young children while grieving her loss. The author illustrates her own children in her book and the storyline is how her late mother becomes their guardian angel and will always be with them.

Such an odd coincidence (to me) that both KR and the Aussie author were both conversing in the very same Facebook group at the same time and both of their books have very similar storylines. JMO

Here’s the Current Affair interview with the Aussie author after her book hit the best sellers list.

Click to expand...
IMO it seems there was a “I don’t have to actually write this book, but I’ll get the credit” approach on multiple fronts. This seems typical of how KR is: everyone else does the grind-y work, and she grabs benefit.
 
Cindizzi said:
View attachment 447449View attachment 447450View attachment 447451View attachment 447452View attachment 447453View attachment 447454
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Wow! There is so much to unpack in this letter. And apparently there is another letter as well that was destroyed?

Just so others don't have to wade through all that chickenscratch, here's a quick summary, although the writing is pretty disjointed and hard to put the pieces together.
  • Kouri wants Lisa, her mother, to convince her brother Ronald to lie for her and claim that Eric was sourcing drugs from Mexican ranch hands. This was what was detailed in the prosecution's motion.
  • There's something about gummies with fentanyl that Kouri hopes to use in her defense but her attorney Skye thinks could be turned against her by the prosecution
  • Skye also has a PI investigating some ranch (in Mexico?) that Eric stayed at (with Ronald?)
  • Once Kouri is out of prison, they will get "those d*mn b*tches" (Eric's sisters?)
  • Kouri tells her mom that someone named Lotto should not contact her. (Is that her reputed lover?)
  • Kouri is behind on mortgages for Marissa's house, Chelsea's house (more relatives?) and her mom's house. She saw a commercial for Utah mortgage relief and hopes they can get help from them. There's also mention of place in Kansas (a mortgage lender?). Also, Kouri wants Lotto (the same guy she didn't want to contact her) to take out a home equity loan on his property and lend the money to her so she can get out from under the debt. There was a reference to his "hideout" that confused me until I realized Hideout is a town in Utah.
  • Kouri has some devious scheme of anonymously sending out photos of Eric's sister's daughters to media companies. This would apparently "get at" her sister-in-law. I couldn't make heads or tails of that one.
  • More scheming about an upcoming Good Morning America interview. In addition to Skye, more names are mentioned (Chelsea, Kelsey, Selma, Ali) who are all supposed to say that Eric never went to church and regularly drank and did drugs. Also that Kouri's sisters-in-law were jealous of her and her lifestyle.
  • Something about her mom working on gun receipts? This would be for her defense after the prosecutors refuse to follow up on it.
  • Wants her mom to get her Crest Whitestrips because her teeth are getting yellow. She would have to smuggle them into the jail in a plain white envelope via Skye. Although it doesn't seem likely that any decent attorney would willingly smuggle contraband.
She's a piece of work, all right.
 
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