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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Failure to File Tax Report or Return |
Sentence: |
"1 year imprisonment, 6 years probation, $10,122 fine" |
Years Imprisoned: |
0.5 |
Year Crime: |
2003 |
Year Convicted: |
2010 |
Year Cleared: |
2014 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Utah |
County or Region of Crime: |
Duchesne |
City of Crime: |
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Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Frank Joseph Steed and Joan A. Steed were a married couple and co-defendants wrongly convicted by a jury in September 2010 of three counts of failing to file proper Utah state tax returns and one count of engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity in Duchesne County, Utah between 2003-2006. Joan Steed and Frank Steed developed real estate and the state alleged they were required to file tax returns becasue they earned several million dollars during those four years. However, they were not charged with tax evasion. After the prosecution rested their case during their trial, the Steeds motion to dismiss the charges for insufficient evidence was denied by the trial judge. After their convictions the judge then denied their motion to arrest the judgment for insufficient evidence. In April 2011 Frank, who is also known as Joe Steed, was sentenced to 1 year in prison, 6 years probation, and payment of a fine of $10,122, and his wife Joan Steed was sentenced to 180 days in jail, 6 years probation, and payment of a fine of $140,298, and restitution of $280,595, The Steed's appeal argued the judge erred denying their motions and that based on the jury instructions their was insufficient evidence of their guilt. On May 16, 2014 the Utah Supreme Court unanimously overturned all the Steeds' convictions, ruling the trial judge erred denying their motions because the prosecution had to prove that the Steed's individually were required to file a tax return, and the prosecution failed to introduce sufficent evidence that each met the filing requirement. The Court remanded the case back to the trial court for entry of "a judgment of acquittal." After the Court issued its ruling a spokesman an assistant Utah attorney general told reporters, ""I still remain confident in the original jury verdict."" |
Conviction Caused By: |
Trial judge erred granting the defendant's motion to dismiss based on the prosecution's failure to introduce sufficient evidence. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"On May 16, 2014 the Utah Supreme Court overturned all the Steeds' convictions, ruling the trial judge erred denying their motions because the prosecution had to prove that the Steed's individually were required to file a tax return, and the prosecution failed to introduce sufficent evidence that each met the filing requirement. The Court remanded the case back to the trial court for entry of "a judgment of acquittal."" |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
66 |
Age When Released: |
67 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"State of Utah v. Joan A. Steed and Frank J. Steed, 2014 UT 16 (UT Sup Ct., 5-16-2014)" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.utcourts.gov/opinions/supopin/Steed051614.pdf |
Information Source 2: |
"Duchesne County couple's convictions reversed by Utah Supreme Court, By Geoff Liesik (staff writer), Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT), May 16 2014" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865603380/Duchesne-County-couples-convictions-reversed-by-Utah-Supreme-Court.html |
Information Source 3: |
"Developers sentenced for tax evasion, By Melinda Rogers (Staff writer), The Salt Lake Tribune, April 27, 2011" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51677609-78/tax-ordered-pay-steed.html.csp |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org