Opinion ID: 2364385
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: ¶ 1 At the age of sixteen, Appellant, Ricky Angilau, was charged as an adult in the district court with several crimes, including murder. Immediately following his arrest, Mr. Angilau was detained in a juvenile detention facility. After three months in the juvenile facility, he was transferred to an adult detention center where he has remained awaiting trial. In this appeal, Mr. Angilau argues that incarcerating him as a child in the adult detention center violated both the Utah Code and the state and federal constitutions. ¶ 2 Following oral argument in this case, but before this opinion was issued, the Utah Legislature amended relevant statutes regarding the pretrial incarceration of children in adult facilities. [1] Additionally, since oral argument Mr. Angilau has turned eighteen years of age and has become an adult under Utah law. ¶ 3 As a result of these changes, Mr. Winder contends that all of the issues raised by Mr. Angilau in this appeal are moot. In contrast, Mr. Angilau argues that his claims are not moot and that resolution of the issues he has raised may still affect his rights. He also argues, in the alternative, that even if some of his claims are moot, we should determine whether his incarceration violated the Utah Code or the unnecessary rigor clause of the Utah Constitution under the public interest exception to the mootness doctrine. ¶ 4 First, we hold that all of the issues presented by Mr. Angilau are moot because even if we were to resolve the issues he has raised in his favor, we could not grant the relief he has requested. Second, we decline to address his statutory and unnecessary rigor claims under the public interest exception to the mootness doctrine, because we hold that the statutory claims are unlikely to recur and that the unnecessary rigor claim is inadequately briefed.