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Utah Supreme Court Sets March 4 Arguments in Petito Family Appeal Against Moab Police

The appeal tests whether Utah's immunity laws bar wrongful-death claims over alleged police negligence.

Overview

  • Oral arguments are scheduled for March 4, following the November 2024 dismissal of the family's suit under Utah's governmental immunity framework.
  • Petito's parents argue Moab officers misread a domestic violence incident in August 2021 and that negligence contributed to her killing.
  • Moab says it sympathizes with the family but maintains its officers are not responsible for a death that occurred weeks later and hundreds of miles away.
  • The state filed an amicus brief backing Moab and defending the constitutionality of the Governmental Immunity Act, while other grieving parents submitted briefs supporting the Petito family.
  • An earlier review of the stop found officers made several unintentional mistakes and recommended training and software upgrades for the department.