Judge denies Kouri Richins’ request to have sentencing postponed
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PARK CITY, Utah — A judge has denied Kouri Richins’ request to have her sentencing delayed by a month.
Richins, 35, was found guilty on March 16 for the aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder of her husband, Eric Richins. A jury also found her guilty of two counts of insurance fraud and forgery.
Richins could face 25 years to life in prison and sentencing is set for May 13, but two weeks ago, her defense attorneys filed a motion asking Judge Richard Mrazik to reschedule the hearing for mid-June.
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They said one of Richins’ attorneys recently had a death in the family, another would be in a separate trial on the date of the sentencing and the defense asked for more time to prepare information to argue that Richins should serve 25 years to life rather than life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Summit County Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth filed a motion on April 15 asking Mrazik to deny the defense’s request.
“For three years, Eric Richins’ family has painfully and patiently stood by as the defendant has manufactured one reason after another to delay this proceeding. There is no good reason for them to suffer further delay. The time has come for the court to sentence Kouri Richins,” Bloodworth wrote.
Mrazik issued his ruling Monday and denied the defense’s motion, saying the defense was given two months to prepare for the sentencing and their reasons for the delay don’t justify a continuance.
“Although defendant argues she needs additional time to prepare her mitigation case, defendant’s motion lacks any specificity about what remains to be done or how long she expects such preparations to take,” Mrazik wrote. “Although one of her attorneys experienced a death in her family, defendant has the benefit of two other highly qualified attorneys to gather and prepare mitigation information. Moreover, to the extent one of her attorneys is unable to attend the sentencing hearing due to commitments in another case, defendant has two other highly qualified attorneys who can represent her interests at the hearing.”
Mrazik wrote he needed to balance the rights of the victims and pointed to an unredacted memo written by Bloodworth that “described in compelling detail the effect that a delay of the sentencing would have on the minor victims…The court concludes the minor victims, in particular, would endure significant prejudice if the sentencing hearing is continued beyond its current setting.”
The sentencing is scheduled for the morning of May 13, but Mrazik insinuated that if more time if needed, he has no other hearings scheduled in the afternoon so “all interested parties have ample opportunity to be heard.”
The sentencing will take place on Eric Richins’ 44th birthday.