Adams v. Hon. Robison

Summary

The Utah Supreme Court denied George Adams' petition for extraordinary relief challenging the justice court's refusal to accept his guilty plea to a DUI charge without prosecutorial consent under Utah Code section 41-6a-513. The court held that Adams properly invoked Utah Rule of Appellate Procedure 19 because no direct appeal was available, but it declined to reach the merits of his separation of powers challenge because he failed to show that relief would be meaningful given the pending enhanced felony charges in district court and the justice court's continued discretion to refuse his plea. The court also rejected his due process challenge because the justice court had rejected that claim as inadequately briefed, and Adams failed to engage that rationale as required to show grounds for relief under Utah Rule of Civil Procedure 65B.