Jail Officials Read Legal Mail & May Record Lawyers, Says Defense in Guard Murder Case
Lawyers defending Curtis Allgier in a Utah capital murder case clearly don’t have any easy job.
A self-described white supremacist with a shaved head, the 31-year-old is heavily tattooed over his entire face, skull and neck.
He gave an interview to KSL Broadcasting in 2007 in which he reportedly admitted that he had accidentally shot the victim in his case.
And that victim was a 60-year-old corrections officer Allgier is accused of shooting with the officer’s own gun, as Allgier escaped from custody during a trip to a Salt Lake City hospital for a magnetic resonance imaging test. He then allegedly attempted to kill a janitor and a customer at a fast-food restaurant before being subdued by the customer, a truck driver.
But none of these allegations give jail officials a right to read Allgier’s attorney-client mail, his lawyers told a 3rd District Court judge today, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. They contend they are no longer corresponding with their client for fear that written communications will be intercepted.
Attorneys Ralph Dellapiana and David Mack also say some meetings between Allgier and his lawyers may have been recorded.
Prosecutor Vincent Meister says officials have to review materials brought into the jail, because there have been some problems, reports the Deseret News.
The defense is seeking to have Allgier’s tattoos, which cover his entire body, concealed at trial, the newspaper says. If their motion is granted, it isn’t clear how that would be accomplished.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com :”Lawyer Plans Extreme Pretrial Makeover for Client in Alleged Police Abuse Case”
Daily Utah Chronicle: “Allgier to stand trial for murder of guard at U”
