After a jury found Kouri Richins guilty of murdering her husband, the judge set her sentencing for May 13.

Eric Richins’ 44th birthday.

Richins’ defense team agreed to the date — as the hordes watching online immediately clocked the coincidence. “Checkmate!” one commenter typed. “Karma,” crowed another.

Now, Richins wants a new date.

The defense asked last week to delay the hearing to June 15, saying the three lawyers need more time to research and that one lawyer had experienced a death in the family.

Prosecutors pushed back in a filing two days after Richins’ request, saying her attorneys didn’t object when the date was set — and that Richins clearly had known her husband’s birthday.

Now, 3rd District Judge Richard Mrazik is considering the request.

Whenever the hearing is set, Richins’ defense expects to present evidence and call additional witnesses before the judge decides her sentence.

‘Time is needed’

Jurors found Richins guilty of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud and one count of forgery. She faces either 25 years to life in prison, or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

After the verdict was read, Richins waived a general 45-day time limit for sentencing. Summit County prosecutor Brad Bloodworth took a moment to talk to Eric Richins’ family in the gallery, before telling the judge that “any day in May works” for sentencing.

It didn’t appear that any of the lawyers in the courtroom recognized the significance of the date.

Last week, Richins’ defense team — attorneys Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos — proposed delaying. Lewis had a recent death in her family, and is also scheduled to be out of the country for the first two weeks of June, according to the motion.

The defense team also wrote that “additional time is needed” to research and prepare “mitigation evidence and witnesses” due to the severity of the sentencing options. The Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure says courts “must afford the defendant an opportunity to make a statement and to present any information in mitigation of punishment,” Richins’ attorneys wrote.

Ramos also has another case that conflicts with the sentencing, according to the motion.

‘The time has come’

On April 15, two days after the defense’s request, prosecutors filed their own motion opposing the delayed sentencing. Prosecutors argued that the state deferred to defense counsel on scheduling throughout the trial “without exception,” and that defense counsel confirmed their availability for sentencing when the verdict was read on March 16.

Prosecutors also described a conversation Richins had with her aunt a day later, on March 17. Her aunt asked if the sentencing was scheduled for her husband’s birthday, and Richins said it was “as of now,” but that she had told lead attorney Nester to “reschedule it for the end of May,” according to the motion.

Nester had told Richins at that point — weeks ago — that she would, prosecutors said. Their filing did not disclose how attorneys learned of the conversation.

Prosecutors added that Ramos, whom defense counsel said would not be available for sentencing, is one of three lawyers for Richins’ defense, and that his conflict came up after Richins’ hearing was set.

Two other portions of prosecutors’ opposition to the delay were redacted in court documents.

“For three years, Eric Richins’ family has painfully and patiently stood by as the defendant has manufactured one reason after another to delay this proceeding,” prosecutors wrote. “There is no good reason for them to suffer further delay. The time has come for the court to sentence Kouri Richins.”