The judge rejects the request to have the prosecutors removed from Kouri Richins’ trial

Summit County, Utah – A judge rejected a motion to remove Summit County Attorney’s Office personnel from the well-known Kouri Richins case, meaning they will remain there.

Judge Richard Mzarik of the Third District Court heard testimony on Thursday from the prosecution and Richins’ new defense team, which consists of public defenders Wendy Lewis and Kathryn Nester.

The move to disqualify Brad Bloodworth, the prosecutor, or the Summit County Attorney’s Office as a whole was launched by Richins’ former attorneys, who claimed to have listened to privileged communications between clients.

The motion further said that on March 26, employees of the Summit County Jail examined a notepad Richins had attempted to provide to Skye Lazaro, her former attorney.

Earlier this year, Lazaro and the lawyers from Ray Quinney & Nebeker P.C. were permitted to leave the case due to what they called a “irreconcilable and nonwaivable situation.”

Unless for instances where he listened a “minimal amount” to determine that Richins was on the phone with her attorney and then continued, Mzarik stated in his decision on Thursday that there was no proof Bloodworth had listened to confidential correspondence between Richins and her counsel.

The judge further stated that there was no proof jail officials had read Richins’ notebook; instead, it was merely necessary to scan it for security and safety concerns before Lazaro could receive it.

“Disqualification is not necessary to maintain fairness,” Mzarik declared, adding that the Summit County Attorney’s Office had not infringed upon Richins’ rights under the Sixth Amendment.

Richins faces charges of aggravated murder and additional counts related to the 2022 death of her spouse, Eric. Kouri, a children’s book author, is accused by the prosecution of putting five times the deadly amount of fentanyl in Eric’s drink poisoning.