SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Supreme Court has upheld the rape convictions of a former Utah State University football player.
In a unanimous ruling made public on Thursday night, the state's top court declined to overturn Torrey Green's rape convictions. He was convicted in a 2019 jury trial on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. Green appealed, arguing that improper hearsay evidence from some of the victims was admitted in trial.
In its ruling, the Court did overturn its own rules on hearsay evidence. However, it was not enough to grant Green a new trial.
"Because of this change in course, we analyze whether the district court erred in admitting the other-acts evidence in Mr. Green’s case under the rules of evidence (without any reference to the doctrine of chances). Under this standard, we find no error in the district court’s other-acts evidence determination," Chief Justice Matthew Durrant.
"As to Mr. Green’s hearsay claims, we conclude that most of the statements at issue were properly admitted consistent with exemptions to the hearsay rule. And because the evidence against Mr. Green was overwhelming, we conclude that the district court’s errors in admitting those few statements that should have been excluded as hearsay were harmless."
Green was sentenced to 26-years-to-life in prison.
Read the Utah Supreme Court's ruling here:
