Life Sentence Expected for Lori Vallow Daybell on June 31, 2023.


 The sentencing date for Lori Daybell has been set for Monday, July 31, at the Fremont County Courthouse. Certain persons will be allowed to speak on her behalf, and in cases like this, only certain persons who wish to see her burn in hell for all eternity will be able to speak in favor of harsh punishment.

Before sentencing in Idaho can take place, a presentence investigation report must issue.  A probation officer will prepare a memorandum to assist the judge in making his sentencing decision, and the prosecution and defense will have about a week prior to trial to review the report and recommend changes to the report or to cite portions of it.

In this case, Daybell was found guilty on May 12 of conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder of her children, grand theft, and conspiracy to commit the murder of Tammy Daybell, her husband's former wife.  

On August 5th, 2021, the prosecutors for Fremont and Madison Counties jointly filed a notice that they intended to seek the death penalty for Lori Norene Vallow aka Liori Norene Daybell.  The reasons for seeking the death penalty, as opposed to life imprisonment, were that the murders were done for remuneration (life insurance money) and were "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity," that Mrs. Daybell exhibited utter disregard for human life, and that someone who would do something so terrible will probably constitute a continuing threat to society.

This notice of the State's intention to seek the death penalty was repeated on May 2, 2022.

On November 23, 2022, Daybell's attorneys moved to have Idaho's death penalty statute declared unconstitutional, and further, on January 4, 2023, they filed a motion to declare Lori Daybell not eligible for the death penalty, and they moved to dismiss the charges on the basis that Lori was not afforded her right to a speedy trial.

Lori's attorneys also moved to allow her to discuss her defense and her husband's defense.  This motion was opposed by the prosecutors and was denied by Judge Boyce on January 20, 2023.

On March 21, 2023, the Court issued an oral order granting the defense motion to dismiss the death penalty as a potential sentence for these reasons:

1. Extensive media coverage;

2. The State was repeatedly late with providing discovery to defense counsel;

3. the defendant's mental state; and

4. questions concerning the means to carry out the death sentence.

Defense attorneys James Archibald and John Thomas are to be commended for their zealous advocacy in this case.  In defending what I would almost consider an indefensible client, they managed to get the death penalty removed as a sanction.  That was a huge victory for the defense.

That said, I fully expect Lori Vallos Daybell to be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.  I expect sentence to be handed down on June 31, 2023, because I believe the Judge will have no reason to hand down a lesser sentence.






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