TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Cover Page
2. Table of Authorities
3. Statement of Jurisdiction
4. Statement of the Issues and Standards of Review
5. Determinative Rules and Statutes
6. Statement of the Case
7. Statement of Facts
8. Summary of Argument
9. Argument
10. Conclusion
11. Certificate of Compliance
12. Certificate of Service
13. Addendum

IN THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS

BRIEF OF APPELLANT

Attorney for Defendant-Appellant:

[________________________________]
[________________________________] (Utah Bar No. [________________________________])
[________________________________]
[________________________________], Utah [________________________________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

Cases

Statutes

Rules

I. STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction over this appeal pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 78A-4-103(2)(e), which grants the Court of Appeals jurisdiction over appeals from a court of record in criminal cases not involving a first-degree or capital felony.

☐ This is an appeal from a final judgment of conviction entered on [__/__/____].
☐ This case was transferred to the Court of Appeals from the Supreme Court pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 78A-3-102(3)(b).

II. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES AND STANDARDS OF REVIEW

Issue 1: Whether the trial court erred in [________________________________].

Standard of Review: [________________________________]

Preservation: This issue was preserved by [________________________________]. (R. [____]; Tr. [____].)

Issue 2: Whether the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction for [________________________________].

Standard of Review: [________________________________]

Preservation: This issue was preserved by [________________________________]. (R. [____]; Tr. [____].)

Issue 3: [________________________________]

Standard of Review: [________________________________]

Preservation: [________________________________]

III. DETERMINATIVE RULES AND STATUTES

The following constitutional provisions, statutes, and rules are determinative of or pertinent to this appeal. The full text is reproduced in the Addendum.

• Utah Code Ann. § [________________________________]
• Utah R. Crim. P. [________________________________]
• Utah R. Evid. [________________________________]
• [________________________________]

IV. STATEMENT OF THE CASE

On or about [__/__/____], an ☐ Information / ☐ Indictment was filed in the [________________________________] District Court, [________________________________] County, charging Defendant-Appellant with:

[Summarize pretrial proceedings, motions, and rulings.]

[________________________________]

On [__/__/____], the case proceeded to ☐ jury trial / ☐ bench trial / ☐ Defendant entered a ☐ guilty / ☐ no contest plea.

On [__/__/____], the ☐ jury returned a verdict of / ☐ court found:

[________________________________]

On [__/__/____], the district court sentenced Defendant-Appellant to:

[________________________________]

(R. [____]; Tr. [____].)

V. STATEMENT OF FACTS

A. State's Case

[________________________________]

(Tr. [____].)

B. Defense Case

[________________________________]

(Tr. [____].)

VI. SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

[________________________________]

VII. ARGUMENT

A. [ISSUE ONE HEADING IN CAPS]

[________________________________]

1. Relevant Proceedings Below

[________________________________]

(R. [____]; Tr. [____].)

2. Standard of Review

☐ Correctness (de novo) applies to questions of law, including constitutional issues. No deference is given to the trial court. (State v. Worwood, 2007 UT 47.)

☐ Abuse of discretion applies to discretionary rulings, including evidentiary and sentencing decisions. (State v. Dunn, 850 P.2d 1201 (Utah 1993).)

☐ Sufficiency of the evidence — the appellate court views the evidence and all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the verdict and determines whether the evidence is sufficiently inconclusive or inherently improbable such that reasonable minds must have entertained a reasonable doubt. (State v. Holgate, 2000 UT 74.)

☐ Plain error applies to unpreserved issues. The appellant must show (1) an error existed, (2) the error should have been obvious to the trial court, and (3) the error was harmful. (State v. Dunn, 850 P.2d 1201 (Utah 1993).)

☐ Ineffective assistance of counsel requires a showing that (1) counsel's performance was deficient, and (2) deficient performance prejudiced the defense. (Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984); State v. Templin, 805 P.2d 182 (Utah 1990).)

[________________________________]

3. Analysis

[________________________________]

4. Prejudice / Harmless Error

☐ Under Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18 (1967), the constitutional error was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt because [________________________________].

☐ Under State v. Verde, 2012 UT 60, the non-constitutional error was not harmless because there is a reasonable likelihood that the error affected the outcome.

[________________________________]

B. [ISSUE TWO HEADING IN CAPS]

[________________________________]

C. [ADDITIONAL ISSUES AS NEEDED]

[________________________________]

VIII. CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, Defendant-Appellant respectfully requests that this Court:

☐ Reverse the judgment of conviction.
☐ Reverse and remand for a new trial.
☐ Modify the judgment as follows: [________________________________].
☐ Vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing.
☐ [________________________________]

Respectfully submitted,

Date: [__/__/____]

_________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]
Attorney for Defendant-Appellant

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

Pursuant to Utah R. App. P. 24(g), I certify that this brief complies with the type-volume limitation and contains [________________________________] words, as counted by [________________________________] word-processing program. This brief does not exceed the 14,000-word limit.

Date: [__/__/____]

_________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, [________________________________], certify that on [__/__/____], I served the foregoing Brief of Appellant on the following parties by the method indicated:

☐ U.S. Mail, first-class, postage prepaid
☐ Electronic service via the Utah appellate courts eFiling system
☐ Hand delivery

Date: [__/__/____]

_________________________________________
[ATTORNEY NAME]

ADDENDUM

A. Determinative Statutes and Rules

[Insert full text of determinative provisions]

B. Relevant Portions of the Record

[Insert copies of relevant orders, rulings, or other record excerpts]

STATE-SPECIFIC NOTES FOR UTAH

1. Word Limit: Principal briefs may not exceed 14,000 words. Headings, footnotes, and quotations count; table of contents, table of authorities, addendum, and certificates do not. (URAP 24(g).)

2. Notice of Appeal: Must be filed within 30 days after entry of the judgment or order appealed from. (URAP 4(a).)

3. Addendum Required: The brief must include an addendum containing determinative statutory and rule text, as well as relevant record excerpts. (URAP 24(a)(12).)

4. Preservation Requirement: Each issue must include a citation to the record showing preservation, or a statement of grounds for reviewing an unpreserved issue (plain error or ineffective assistance). (URAP 24(a)(5).)

5. Court of Appeals vs. Supreme Court: Criminal cases not involving first-degree or capital felonies go to the Court of Appeals. Capital and first-degree felony cases go directly to the Supreme Court. (Utah Code Ann. § 78A-3-102(3)(i).)

6. Binding Requirement: Hard-copy briefs must not be stapled or bound along the left edge; they must be secured with a binder clip. (URAP 27.)

7. Pour-Over Jurisdiction: The Supreme Court may transfer cases to the Court of Appeals, and vice versa. (Utah Code Ann. § 78A-3-102(3)(b).)

8. Anders Brief: If appointed counsel finds no meritorious issues, counsel must file an Anders brief. (Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967); State v. Clayton, 639 P.2d 168 (Utah 1981).)