Utah’s Stand Your Ground Law: A Guide to Self-Defense and Justified Force
No Duty to Retreat: Utah is a Stand Your Ground state. This means you do not have a legal duty to retreat from an attacker before using force—including deadly force—in any place you are lawfully present. The Pre-Trial Justification Hearing: Utah law provides a unique pre-trial hearing where a judge can dismiss charges if the defense shows the use of force was justified. The prosecution must then provide clear and convincing evidence to the contrary for the case to proceed. Location Matters: The law…









