Use of Force Amendments

Summary

The measure changes Utah’s use‑of‑force laws so that a person who claims they were justified in using force cannot rely on that defense if they recklessly or negligently injure or kill a bystander. It also lets defendants charged with such reckless or negligent harm request a pre‑trial hearing to argue justification, shifting the burden to the state to disprove it. The bill would affect anyone using force in self‑defense or defense of property and would take effect on May 6 2026.

AI-generated summary — may be incomplete or inaccurate. Verify against the official bill text.

Topics

Share