(1)  If, at any time during the term of the plea in abeyance agreement, information comes to the attention of the prosecuting attorney or the court that the defendant has violated any condition of the agreement, the court, at the request of the prosecuting attorney, made by appropriate motion and affidavit, or upon its own motion, may issue an order requiring the defendant to appear before the court at a designated time and place to show cause why the court should not find the terms of the agreement to have been violated and why the agreement should not be terminated. If, following an evidentiary hearing, the court finds that the defendant has failed to substantially comply with any term or condition of the plea in abeyance agreement, it may terminate the agreement and enter judgment of conviction and impose sentence against the defendant for the offense to which the original plea was entered. Upon entry of judgment of conviction and imposition of sentence, any amounts paid by the defendant as a plea in abeyance fee prior to termination of the agreement shall be credited against any fine imposed by the court.

Terms Used In Utah Code 77-2a-4

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Plea in abeyance: means an order by a court, upon motion of the prosecuting attorney and the defendant, accepting a plea of guilty or of no contest from the defendant but not, at that time, entering judgment of conviction against the defendant nor imposing sentence upon the defendant on condition that the defendant comply with specific conditions as set forth in a plea in abeyance agreement. See Utah Code 77-2a-1
  • Plea in abeyance agreement: means an agreement entered into between the prosecuting attorney and the defendant setting forth the specific terms and conditions upon which, following acceptance of the agreement by the court, a plea may be held in abeyance. See Utah Code 77-2a-1
(2)  The termination of a plea in abeyance agreement and subsequent entry of judgment of conviction and imposition of sentence shall not bar any independent prosecution arising from any offense that constituted a violation of any term or condition of an agreement whereby the original plea was placed in abeyance.

Enacted by Chapter 82, 1993 General Session

  Previous section
Next section  
 Chapter 2a Contents