- Clayton Simms
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Clayton Simms Born June 27, 1969 Residence Salt Lake City, Utah Alma mater University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law
University of HoustonOccupation Criminal Defense Lawyer Clayton Alexander Simms is a Criminal Defense Attorney based in Utah. Simms has argued over 100 jury trials, including several highly-publicized controversial criminal cases. He can be described as having an "affable, albeit somewhat controversial relationship with the media". His blog, Salt Lake Criminal Defense, can be read here.
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Education
Simms earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Organizational Behavior & Management from the University of Houston in 1993. He wrote for the student newspaper, El Sol and graduated with honors. Shortly after graduation, Simms moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for U.S. Congressman José Serrano. He subsequently earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Lawin 1997. While at the University of Utah, Simms was an active member of the student body. He was a Senator in the Student Government, a Fellow on the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO), and he remains a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Society.
Professional career
Simms began his career in 1999 as a Trial Attorney for the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association. In 2001 he formed Clayton A. Simms, LCC in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he is a Partner and Trial Attorney and practices criminal defense exclusively. He has tried numerous jury and bench trials from initial appearance to verdict and has argued before District Courts, Justice Courts, the Utah Court of Appeals, and U.S. District Court.[1]
Notable Cases include:
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- [State of Utah v Cody LIttlewood] (2009) Hazing charges dismissed against Utah State University fraternity president on the grounds that his participation did not amount to hazing under Utah law.[2]
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- State of Utah v. Blair A. Devey (2006). This case established the principle the prosecutor must refer to the complaining witness as “alleged victim” not “victim”.[3]
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- State of Utah v. Dale Moroni Gibbons (2001). The Chief Financial Officer of Zion’s Bank was charged with third degree felony child endangerment and third degree possession of a controlled substance. The defendant was acquitted at trial.[4]
Organizations
Simms has served as President of the Utah Minority Bar Association, which named him Lawyer of the Year in 2008. He is one of four Fellows on the American Board of Criminal Lawyers from the state of Utah. He has sat on the Utah State Bar Commission, and served as Utah State Bar Criminal Law Co-Vice Chair since 2003. Since 2004, Simms has appeared perennially in Utah Business Magazine's Legal Elite within Criminal Law. Mountain States Super Lawyers list Clayton Simms as a top criminal law attorney in the mountain state region.[5][6]
References
- ^ http://www.claytonsimms.com/about-us/
- ^ "USU Hazing Charges Dropped". Salt Lake Tribune. August 5, 2009. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705256585,00.html.
- ^ "State of Utah v. Blair A. Devey", findlaw, May 5, 2006, http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:72RC_FOnWgIJ:caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/ut/cases/appopin/devey052506.pdf+blair+a+devey&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj4EuZWh3a3WPFuXbMFEpGaTxYIPFStmL68R5wjs6ZEyazprD4vKPkS70Nsz9e0egroxP4KrXGYjqaSA3kU96XH7t54_JZErDko-BaVwctBbzam15eJCV7Om9zBpxzmdwY404c9&sig=AHIEtbRcb4pZL9ktsV8v4A3tyOv640T3yA
- ^ "Gibbons Wins Acquittal". Desert News. June 21, 2002. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/921046/Gibbons-wins-acquittal.html.
- ^ "Super Lawyers Clayton A Simms", Super Lawyers, 2010, http://www.superlawyers.com/utah/lawyer/Clayton-A-Simms/605be1e3-6e6b-4427-8808-f26acf7330d1.html
- ^ "Verdict is in:S.L. attorney named Lawyer of the Year". Desert News. October 20, 2008. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705256585,00.html.
External links
Categories:- Utah lawyers
- People from Salt Lake City, Utah
- Living people
- 1969 births
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