Opinion ID: 2639442
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: interference with an arresting officer

Text: ¶ 51 Hamilton also challenges his conviction for interference with an arresting officer. Section 76-8-305 of the Utah Code provides that a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if he or she has knowledge, or by the exercise of reasonable care should have knowledge, that a peace officer is seeking to effect a lawful arrest or detention ... and [that person] interferes with the arrest or detention by ... use of force or any weapon. Utah Code Ann. § 76-8-305 (1999). While Hamilton's brief on this issue is not a model of clarity, he apparently contends that Deputy Chambers was acting wholly outside the scope of his authority while he was at Vance Springs and that Chambers was not there for purposes of arresting him. Thus, Hamilton could not have interfered with an arresting officer. Because we have concluded in Part II.B., supra, ¶ 44, that there was ample evidence that (1) Hamilton shot Chambers while Chambers was on duty, and (2) Hamilton did so while trying to avoid arrest, Hamilton's contention that he did not interfere with an arresting officer necessarily fails. Thus, we uphold the jury's verdict on this charge.