If you’ve watched any TV in the last 30 years, chances are you’ve seen dramatizations of the legal system played out.

‘Twas the night before Christmas in the city of Salt Lake. All was still, all was silent, not a soul was awake. The lights shone bright, throughout Temple Square. Soon, Old St. Nick would see all this flair.

Utah has a reputation of being one of the safest states in the nation, and the data backs it up. According to the CDC, the Beehive State has the eighth lowest rate of homicides at 2.7 per 100,000 people in 2021. That number equates to 91 total cases in one year. While that is relatively low, it doesn’t mean the state is completely risk free.

When you hear the word intimidation, it might bring to mind a bully threatening to steal your lunch money if you don’t comply with their wishes. On a more frightening note, it could be someone in a gang threatening to inflict serious bodily harm. While this scenario can be scary for the victim, it can also be criminal in the state of Utah. In fact, it’s the seventh most common crime in the Beehive state.

If you are accused of committing a crime in Utah, you may have thought the only question in determining your guilt or innocence is whether or not you did it. However, it may surprise you to know that it’s a little more complicated than that. Your intent — the reason you allegedly did it — can be the difference that puts you behind bars.

Trigger Warning Here is what you need to know about sexual assault in Utah. Before you read this, please be aware that it is a sensitive topic. If discussions about sexual assault are triggering for you, it might be a good idea to skip this post..

Right now, 23 states have approved recreational marijuana, and four of them border Utah. In fact, the only surrounding states that don’t allow it are Wyoming and Idaho.

Writing is such a big part of everyday life, that we rarely give it a second thought. When you post your thoughts on the Internet or sign for a package, you are creating a record that can be used for your benefit or detriment. One of the most common crimes in Utah actually has to do with writing, and that is forgery. Under state law, forgery is when someone pretends to be another person using the written word. The forger either alters the text or creates new text as someone else. They may also say they are acting on behalf of the other person when they are not.

As summer comes to a close, students throughout Utah are packing their bags every morning and heading to school. While classes, homework, and extracurricular activities are ramping up, so are the number of students getting in trouble with the law.