February 24, 2026 | 3:01 PM

Judge Denies Motion to Disqualify Utah County Attorney's Office

Today, Judge Tony Graf denied the defense's Motion to Disqualify the Utah County Attorney's Office from prosecuting this case. Judge Graf ruled that the prosecutor's daughter who attended the September 2025 Turning Point USA event had no relevant information that was not also known by numerous other attendees, and that her presence at the event had no impact on the charging decisions. The judge also ruled that her attendance did not create any personal interest that would affect the prosecution. The next hearing is scheduled for March 13th at 10:00 a.m. MDT to address various defense motions to restrict public access to certain motions and supporting memoranda. A hearing on April 17th, also set to begin at 10:00 a.m. MDT, will address the defense motion to exclude all cameras from the courtroom. A preliminary hearing remains set for May 18-20. After announcing his ruling on the disqualification motion, Judge Graf emphasized that this case is a priority and therefore he intends to ensure that the preliminary hearing occurs on those dates.