Welcome From Troy Rawlings - Award Winning Davis County District Attorney
Utah's Legal Elite Selection Is Voted On By Peers (Licensed Utah Attorneys) And Published In Utah Business Magazine.
Serving You With Decorated Professional Judgment and Experience
My family and I have been part of this community for many years, working to help keep Davis County a great place. This is not the office for someone who simply wants to serve, be involved, create a social club or use their education. This is a law office dealing with the most serious cases imaginable. I, along with my outstanding staff, have proven unequivocally we understand this and measure up to the task.
Since 2007, I have served as your elected Davis County / District Attorney. I was sworn in for a 3rd term on January 5, 2015. In May of 1994, I received my JD degree in Alabama. From 1994-2000, I was in private practice specializing in criminal defense and family law. I joined the Davis County Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor in January of 2000. Prior to my 2007 election, I was the Section Chief of the Special Prosecution Unit in the Davis County Attorney’s Office assigned to the most serious cases pending in the office. As both a prosecutor and defense attorney, I have handled thousands of cases, including hundreds of jury and bench trials. The breadth of experience ranges from murder, sex offenses, white collar fraud, violent crimes against children and women to all other types of felonies and misdemeanors. I have received local, state and national professional awards. Many of my cases have been featured on local or national television, including CNN, Fox News and Dateline NBC. I have been a frequent local and national presenter for the NDAA (National District Attorney’s Association) for years, as well as in New York City at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2017; the California District Attorney’s Association in 2018; Washington DC in 2015; and an international criminal justice symposium in New Orleans in 2018. None of this on your taxpayer dime.
SELECTED AWARDS
2022 NDAA (National District Attorney's Association) National Distinguished Prosecutor Award Nominee;
2022 Again Honored / Selected by Peers as One of Utah’s Legal Elite (top attorneys in the state);
2021 Elected by peers to be the Chair Person of the UCDAA (Utah County and District Attorney's Association);
2020 Again Honored / Selected by Peers as One of Utah’s Legal Elite (top attorneys in the state);
2019 Again Honored / Selected by Peers as One of Utah’s Legal Elite (top attorneys in the state);
2018 Again Honored / Selected by Peers as One of Utah’s Legal Elite (top attorneys in the state);
2018 Yet again - The Top Internet Crimes Against Children task force office in the State of Utah, as awarded by the Utah Attorney General's Office;
2017 Honored / Selected by Peers as One of Utah’s Legal Elite (top attorneys in the state);
2017 Yet again - The Top Internet Crimes Against Children task force office in the State of Utah, as awarded by the Utah Attorney General's Office;
2017 Measures for Justice Commendation for being an elite District Attorney's Office based on statistical analysis of available data leading to invitations to speak in New York City, Newport Beach CA, and New Orleans about the implementation of policies and procedures leading to success (trips paid for by MFJ, not by taxpayers);
2016 The Top Internet Crimes Against Children task force office in the State of Utah, as awarded by the Utah Attorney General's Office;
2015 Citizens Academy National Award Winner (Significant member of Team Awarded Best in USA);
2010 National Children’s Alliance (N.A.C.) Bud Cramer Award for supporting Children’s Justice Centers and protecting and advocating for the safety of children / Accepted at a ceremony in Washington D.C. (paid for by the N.A.C.);
2009 Utah County or District Attorney of the Year. In addition to voting me County Attorney of the Year in 2009, my peers (the elected County and District Attorney’s in Utah) voted me their leader as Chair Person of the U.C.D.A.A. (Utah County and District Attorney’s Association);
2008 Davis County Republican Women Elected Official of the Year;
2008 Utah Attorney General’s Children’s Justice Award;
2007-2020 Award Winning Performance / Audit Verified Policies / A Huge Deal to You
“BCI commends this agency on its adherence to BCI and NCIC policy.”
Continued clean audits by the Bureau of Criminal Information (BCI) and by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) - the FBI. What does this mean? This is a big deal, which is why all criminal justice related agencies are audited regularly. The Davis County Attorney's Office has access to all kinds of information about citizens, but we only use it appropriately and when relevant to a pending case. We do not violate the sanctity of the information we have access to and use. We protect the privacy of your information and all those we investigate and prosecute. No violations have been found by either the BCI or the NCIC since I have been Davis County Attorney. Many agencies cannot claim this and have to address inadequacies. Do you hear other DA or even AG candidates talking about results, or even letting you know they are audited? I have made sure that we do not have problems. Yes, we have been highly commended for protecting you and will continue to do so.
National Center for Prosecutor Integrity AND National Law Enforcement Leaders Panel (Invited Advisory Panel Member of both): Yes, this is a big deal. I am the only prosecutor in the Western United States who has been invited to be on the prosecutor integrity board due to my work in this area, including a proactive "Brady" policy [constitutional compliance] as well as disciplining, holding accountable and unfortunately ending the employment of rogue prosecutors. I was also invited to participate in a Summit in Washington DC due to my accomplishments in this area. As a result of my proactive approach and stance, I was solicited to make presentations for all prosecutors in Utah and Idaho on this topic. In addition, I am one of only 200 combined prosecutors and police chiefs in the entire country asked to be on the LEADS (Law Enforcement Leaders) panel.
A few Significant or High Profile Cases
My case load has included many high profile or serious cases with effective, appropriate and constitutionally obtained results for victims and the community. A few examples of the vast number I could provide (these cases are all a matter public record):
- Mark D. Burns (First Degree Aggravated Sexual Assault; Aggravated Kidnapping; Aggravated Burglary - multiple counts of each - 17 total convicted)
- Ed Owens (First Degree Murder)
- Angela Andrews (First Degree Murder and Second Degree S. Abuse of a Child)
- Aaron Montoya (First Degree Felony S. Abuse of multiple children)
- Mark Anthony Ott (Aggravated Murder)
- Clinton Rosenbaum (First Degree Murder)
- Clarence Branch (First Degree Aggravated S. Assault)
- Stephan Pando (First Degree Rape, First Degree Forcible Sod. x2 counts, + 4 other felonies)
- Michael Dyer (First Degree Aggravated S. Assault, First Degree Aggravated Burglary, First Degree Aggravated Assault with a Weapon, Second Degree S. Abuse of a Child)
- Terrance Pierce (x3 counts First Degree Aggravated S. Abuse of Children)
- Howard Voeltz (x2 counts First Degree Forcible Sod., Second Degree Forcible S. Abuse)
- Nathaniel Sloop (Aggravated Murder and Aggravated Assault)
- Stephanie Sloop (Aggravated Murder and Aggravated Assault)
- Joshua Isakson (Attempted Aggravated Murder of a Police Officer)
- Marco Guizar (Attempted Aggravated Murder of 2 Police Officers, Aggravated Assault, Evading)
- Mark L. Shurtleff (Allegations of Bribery and Gift Statute Violations. Yes, the dismissal was appropriate and was exactly what the facts, law and constitutions of Utah and the United States required. I do not run from this and am willing to discuss why in public and head on. I have done so in the award winning Citizen's Academy and at the U of U Law School. I can absolutely back this decision up and forcefully / compellingly so. And yes, the United States Department of Justice did violate his constitutional rights - see my Motion to Compel The United States Government, my Reply to the DOJ's Response and my Motion to Dismiss in the 3rd District Court of Utah. Also, see what happened in the former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell case that impacted my decision [my legal assessment and judgment was correct on the impact of the US Supreme Court's decision]; and the John Swallow case, driven personally by Sim Gill, the Salt Lake County DA, which absolutely substantiates the Shurtleff dismissal)
- Many other serious felony and misdemeanor cases, including hundreds of trials.
Resume Highlights:
Davis County Attorney / District Attorney
Deputy County Attorney Jan 2000 – Dec 2006;
Elected Davis County Attorney in Nov of 2006, Sworn-In January 2007. Re-Elected 2010 and 2014.
Defense Attorney
October 1994 – December 1999 handling all types of felony and misdemeanor cases in adult and juvenile courts throughout Utah.
Education
J.D. Degree, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, 1991 to May 1994;
B.S. Political Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 1987 to 1991;
B.S. Speech Communication, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 1987 to 1991;
Bountiful High School, Bountiful, Utah 1984.
Professional Associations / Boards Served On
NYU School of Law Advisory Committee for the National Brennan Center for Justice – Law Leads;
Advisory Panel Member for the National Center for Prosecutor Integrity;
Utah County and District Attorney’s Association-UCDAA (Past Chair);
CIT Utah Founding Board Member (Crisis Intervention Training);
Utah Board of Juvenile Justice (UBJJ) Appointed by the Governor of Utah;
Utah Indigent Defense Funds Board (Past-Chair);
Utah State Bar;
Davis County Bar;
Davis County Children’s Justice Center Advisory Board;
Past Treasurer Utah State Bar Criminal Section Board;
Utah State Wide Association of Prosecutor’s Board (SWAP);
Utah Juvenile Justice Reform Governor’s Committee.
Publications
Co-author of law review article related to Brady / Giglio (Supreme Court cases involving prosecutor responsibilities to find and provide evidence) published in the Utah Journal of Criminal Law: http://upc.utah.gov/guestArticles/NeedLegislationReformBradyPacticesUtah.pdf
Author of law review article in the American Journal of Trial Advocacy (America’s Oldest Law Review Publication) on the entrapment defense.
Adjunct Professor Criminal Justice - On Campus & Online
Weber State University
University of Phoenix
Eagle Gate College
Specializing in criminal law, evidence, criminal procedure, juvenile law, current trends, and constitutional issues
National Award for Helping Educate Citizens on What Our Office Does and Why
National Award for Protecting Your Children. Please Read Here: http://conference.nationalchildrensalliance.org/Bud-Cramer-Advocacy-Award
