Utah legal term
Biological evidence in Utah Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Utah legislative session
In Utah criminal law, “Biological evidence” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Utah criminal code.
What does “Biological evidence” mean in Utah criminal law?
"Biological evidence" means an item that contains blood, semen, hair, saliva, epithelial cells, latent fingerprint evidence that may contain biological material suitable for DNA testing, or other identifiable human biological material that: (6)(a)(i) is collected as part of an investigation or prosecution of a violent felony offense; and (6)(a)(ii) may reasonably be used to incriminate or exculpate a person for the violent felony offense. (Utah Code Ann. § 77-11c-101)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.