This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A bill that would add penalty enhancements for knowingly assaulting police or military personnel while in uniform passed unanimously out of the Senate Wednesday morning and now moves to the House.
Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan, pitched SB109 as a deterrent to brazen criminals who, facing tougher sentences, may think twice before assaulting those in uniform.
Supported by the Fraternal Order of Police and the Utah Sentencing Commission, the bill would make it a third degree felony if the person knowingly assaulted uniformed personnel and had been previously convicted of a crime. It would also make it a second degree felony if the assault happened while a suspect was armed with a deadly weapon and caused substantial injury.
David Montero