Utah's Supreme Court overturns Douglas Lovell's death sentence for 1985 murder due to inadequate response to excommunication testimony.
Utah's Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of Douglas Lovell, convicted for the 1985 murder of Joyce Yost to prevent her testifying against him in a rape case. The court found that Lovell's attorneys failed to object or respond adequately to testimonies about his excommunication from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, prejudicing his sentencing hearing. Lovell is now entitled to a new sentencing hearing free from improper and prejudicial evidence.
July 25, 2024
9 Articles