Salt Lake County Conspiracy Penalties
Penalties for conviction of conspiracy in Utah vary widely, and depend on the severity of the crime that was the goal of the conspiracy. Generally, a conspiracy will be charged at one level lower than that of the related crime. Thus, a conspiracy to commit:
- A capital murder is a first degree felony;
- A first-degree felony is a second-degree felony (except for conspiracy to commit child kidnapping and some sexual offenses);
- A second-degree felony is a third-degree felony;
- A third-degree felony is a class A misdemeanor;
- A class A misdemeanor is a class B misdemeanor;
- A class B misdemeanor is a class C misdemeanor;
- A class C misdemeanor is punishable by a penalty not exceeding one half the penalty for a class C misdemeanor.
The exception to this rule is that conspiracy to commit some first-degree felonies will also be charged as a first degree felony, with a mandatory minimum of three years in prison, and conviction may even result in life in prison for a conspiracy charge. These penalties apply for a conviction of conspiracy to engage in:
- Child kidnapping
- Rape
- Aggravated sexual assault