State v. Marx
CourtCourt of Appeals of Utah
Date FiledJuly 23, 2026
DocketCase No. 20230044-CA
StatusPublished
📰 News Coverage: Read the LAWS.com news report on this case
Full Opinion
2026 UT App 109
THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS
STATE OF UTAH,
Appellee,
v.
TREVOR ALEXANDER MARX,
Appellant.
Opinion
No. 20230044-CA
Filed July 23, 2026
Fifth District Court, St. George Department
The Honorable Jeffrey C. Wilcox
No. 191502062
Staci Visser and Ann Marie Taliaferro,
Attorneys for Appellant
Derek E. Brown and Karen A. Klucznik,
Attorneys for Appellee
JUDGE AMY J. OLIVER authored this Opinion, in which
JUDGES GREGORY K. ORME and JOHN D. LUTHY concurred.
OLIVER, Judge:
¶1 A jury convicted Trevor Alexander Marx of one count of
sodomy upon a child and one count of tampering with a witness.
On appeal, he alleges the State failed to disclose favorable and
material evidence and his attorney (Counsel) rendered ineffective
assistance in multiple ways. He also requests we remand his case
to the district court to develop the record regarding one of his
claims. We are unpersuaded by his arguments and thus affirm his
convictions and deny his request.
State v. Marx
BACKGROUND 1
The Abuse
¶2 Marx married his first wife (Mother) in October 2005, and
their daughter Taylor 2 was born in April 2006. At the time, the
family lived in St. George, Utah, and Marx cared for Taylor during
the day while Mother worked. At the first house Taylor recalled
living in with her parents, Marx “put . . . chocolate sauce on his
penis, and he told [her] to lick it off.” Taylor did so because Marx
“told [her] to” and because she “trusted” her father. Marx and
Mother separated when Taylor was approximately eighteen
months old, and the two began living separately, with Taylor
spending half of her time with each parent.
¶3 Marx and Mother eventually divorced when Taylor was
“around the age [of] 4 or 5.” Marx moved to Layton, Utah, shortly
thereafter, in June 2010, seeing Taylor only on weekends and
during the summer. After the move, there were multiple instances
where Marx would “get on top of [Taylor]” and make her “kiss
him in intimate ways.” Specifically, he would “[F]rench kiss
[Taylor], and he would expect [her] to do it back.” The abuse
stopped when Taylor was about eight years old.
The Disclosure and Investigation
¶4 In 2019, thirteen-year-old Taylor disclosed to Mother that
Marx had done “some really, really bad things” to her. At this
point, the abuse was “affecting [her] mentally and physically,”
and she had “kind of developed [an] eating disorder because of
it.” The next morning, Mother took Taylor to the police station to
report the abuse. Mother discussed the disclosure with a detective
1. “On appeal, we review the record facts in a light most favorable
to the jury’s verdict and recite the facts accordingly.” State v.
Maese, 2010 UT App 106, n.2, 236 P.3d 155.
2. A pseudonym.
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State v. Marx
(Detective) and told him that she had previously asked Taylor
“several times” whether Marx had abused her. She explained that
she had spoken to Marx’s second ex-wife (Ex-wife) the previous
day and that “[e]very time” she spoke to Ex-wife on the phone,
Ex-wife asked if Mother was sure “that [Marx] ha[d]n’t done
anything with [Taylor].” Mother told Detective that based on her
“weird gut feeling” after that particular phone call, she again
asked Taylor if Marx had “done anything inappropriate with”
her, and Taylor “finally” disclosed the abuse. Detective then set
up an interview for Taylor at the Children’s Justice Center (CJC).
¶5 As part of the investigation, police had Taylor make a
recorded pretext call to Marx (the Pretext Call). When Marx
answered, he sounded relaxed and happy to talk to Taylor. Then
Taylor said Mother had put her in counseling and she was being
asked whether Marx had ever done anything inappropriate with
her. Taylor expressed that she did not know what she should do.
Marx’s tone shifted, and he replied, “You should just answer how
you feel, kiddo.”
¶6 Taylor pressed further, asking, “[L]ike what do I do?”
Marx initially responded, “I cannot answer that question for you
what you do, okay?” He then asked, “But is anybody else there?”
After Taylor confirmed she was the only person on the call, Marx
said, “Well, I mean I would prefer you not say anything about
anything . . . . Obviously. But that’s up to you, kiddo.”
¶7 Marx shifted the conversation, and the two briefly
discussed other topics. Marx then asked Taylor if she was okay,
and she replied, “I was just nervous, and I didn’t know what to
tell them.” Again Marx responded, “Well, like I said, you tell them
what you want, but I’d prefer you not.” He continued to explain,
saying, “I could get into a lot of trouble, you know?”
¶8 Marx then asked Taylor what she had told the counselor so
far. She said, “I haven’t really told them anything,” and she
reiterated she had just begun meeting with the counselor when
these questions had come up. Marx then replied, “Okay. Well,
okay. Like I said, it’s up to you as to what you—what you answer
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State v. Marx
on that, but I would prefer not.” At this point, his tone became
more serious and he said, “Listen, I can get into a lot of trouble.”
Marx and Taylor then discussed one of Taylor’s school classes
before concluding the call.
¶9 Detective later called Marx to inform him of Taylor’s
allegations. 3 Marx’s initial response was to ask when Taylor
alleged the abuse occurred. When Detective asked him why he
was asking about the time frame of the abuse, Marx “indicated
that he very rarely saw” Taylor. Eventually, Marx denied the
allegations and claimed he had never been alone with Taylor.
Detective also asked Marx about his repeatedly telling Taylor on
the Pretext Call that he would prefer she not say anything because
he could get in trouble. Marx explained he made these comments
because he would get in trouble if Taylor claimed he had touched
her. Marx was not “angry” during the call with Detective, but he
was “matter of fact” and “put off.”
¶10 Marx was later charged with one count of sodomy upon a
child and one count of tampering with a witness.
The Trial
¶11 At trial, Taylor testified about the abuse described above.
She also recalled additional details related to the abuse.
Specifically, Taylor testified about the house in St. George where
the abuse began, including the color and layout of the house, the
location of the bed in her bedroom, and a mural painted on her
bedroom wall. She also recalled that during the abuse, Marx was
on her bed and was wearing a shirt “but no pants.” Similarly, she
recounted details of the house in Layton and the room where the
other abuse occurred. She also testified that she had not disclosed
the abuse earlier because Marx “used to tell [her] . . . that if [she]
3. Detective’s phone call with Marx was not played during trial or
made part of the record on appeal. Detective testified to the
contents of the phone call during his trial testimony.
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State v. Marx
said anything, he would go to jail.” During her testimony, the
State played the audio of the Pretext Call.
¶12 The State also called Mother to testify. She discussed the
“contentious and rocky” nature of her relationship with Marx,
admitting that the two “were fighting all the time” and “[t]here
was a lot of contention between the two of [them] leading up to
and during the divorce.” She testified this dynamic remained
even after the divorce, with “heated” communications continuing
between the two, including about child support and custody. She
also testified she had told Marx that her new husband wanted to
adopt Taylor.
¶13 Detective testified regarding both the Pretext Call and his
telephone conversation with Marx.
¶14 At the close of the State’s case, Marx moved for a
“judgment of acquittal.” The court denied the motion. The
defense then called a trained child forensic interviewer (Expert)
as an expert witness. During Expert’s testimony, the defense
played the entirety of Taylor’s CJC interview. Expert then testified
regarding memory contamination, saying it can occur when
someone improperly influences a child’s memories of events
through improper questioning. Expert expressed concern that
some of the conversations Mother had with Taylor could have
resulted in memory contamination. Expert also testified regarding
source monitoring, which she said refers to the ability to monitor
“the information that’s coming” in. She testified that this skill is
“poorly developed in young children” and, as a result, children
end up incorporating “outside information” “into their story.”
She stated that comments Mother had made to Taylor regarding
Marx being “mean” and “violent” could have influenced Taylor’s
memory and recounting of events.
¶15 Marx then testified in his own defense. He corroborated
much of the previous testimony, including when he lived in St.
George, when he moved to Layton, and the contentious nature of
his and Mother’s relationship. Marx testified that from the time
Taylor was born until he moved to Layton, he was never alone
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State v. Marx
with her at the St. George house. And when Counsel asked how
certain he was about that, Marx testified he was “[v]ery certain.”
He testified that he told Detective he thought Taylor was “making
it all up.” And Marx said that during the Pretext Call, he did not
challenge the notion that he had done inappropriate things with
Taylor because he did not “see fit to have a conversation with her
that [he] had just had two weeks prior about lying.” In response
to a written question from a juror, Marx confirmed his claim was
that he never spent time alone with Taylor between 2006 (when
she was born) and 2011.
¶16 Marx also testified that he is allergic to chocolate. He said
he discovered this allergy when he was ten years old, explaining
that after eating a piece of chocolate his “tongue began to tingle,
and it got swollen, and then [he] vomited.” He further testified
that on an occasion where chocolate spilled on his hand, it became
“itchy and swollen and red within minutes.” He testified that he
carried an Epipen with him because of this allergy.
¶17 Finally, the defense called Marx’s father as a witness. He
testified that when Marx was ten years old, Marx “immediately
began to throw up and gasp” after eating some chocolate. He
testified that he was also allergic to chocolate, as was his father,
Marx’s grandfather. He described this allergy as “severe” and
recounted Marx’s grandfather having “a hard time breathing” “if
he ate chocolate or had contact with chocolate.” He described
Marx’s reaction as “more severe” than Marx’s grandfather’s.
¶18 The State then called a rebuttal expert. She agreed with
Expert that memory contamination can occur when young
children are improperly questioned, but she said this was “not
absolute.” She also testified that while young children have
difficulty with source monitoring, a thirteen-year-old would be
able to reliably source monitor. Specifically, she testified that she
did not have any concerns about source monitoring based on
Taylor’s CJC interview because Taylor was able to convey where
she got her information.
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State v. Marx
¶19 Following closing arguments, the jury deliberated and
found Marx guilty as charged.
The Post-trial Motion
¶20 Before sentencing, Marx obtained new counsel. He then
submitted supplemental requests for discovery seeking the body
camera footage from Mother’s conversation with police when she
reported the abuse and a copy of a report from Taylor’s physical
examination by Safe and Healthy Families (the SHF report). As
part of his request, Marx acknowledged that a report previously
provided to Counsel had a “yes” mark indicating that the State
had body camera footage of Mother’s initial interaction with
police.
¶21 Marx later submitted a motion to arrest judgment or for a
new trial. In his motion, Marx argued the State violated its duty
to disclose the body camera footage and the SHF report and
Counsel rendered ineffective assistance in failing to present
medical evidence showing Marx is allergic to chocolate and not
investigating the case to discover evidence with which to impeach
Taylor and Mother. Following a hearing on the motion, the court
denied it. Marx was sentenced to twenty-five years to life for
sodomy upon a child and zero to five years for witness tampering,
with the sentences to run concurrently.
ISSUES AND STANDARDS OF REVIEW
¶22 Marx first appeals the district court’s denial of his motion
for a new trial based on the claim that the State violated its duty
to disclose the body camera footage and the SHF report. “We
review a court’s ruling on a motion for a new trial for an abuse of
discretion.” State v. Aguilar, 2022 UT App 97, ¶ 10, 516 P.3d 768
(cleaned up).
¶23 Marx next asserts he received ineffective assistance of
counsel. First, he argues in the alternative to the above argument
that Counsel was ineffective for failing to obtain and use the body
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State v. Marx
camera footage and the SHF report. Second, Marx argues that
Counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to put on
additional evidence of Marx’s asserted chocolate allergy. “When
we are presented with a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel
[that was addressed below], we review a lower court’s purely
factual findings for clear error, but we review the application of
the law to the facts for correctness.” State v. Ray, 2020 UT 12, ¶ 23,
469 P.3d 871 (cleaned up).
¶24 Finally, Marx requests we remand his case under rule 23B
of the Utah Rules of Appellate Procedure to supplement the
record with evidence from “a qualified forensic expert that could
opine on issues of memory, child development, and . . . false
allegations of sexual abuse.” Such a remand is “available only
upon a nonspeculative allegation of facts, not fully appearing in
the record on appeal, which, if true, could support a
determination that counsel was ineffective.” Utah R. App. P.
23B(a).
ANALYSIS
I. Body Camera Footage and SHF Report
¶25 Marx claims the district court abused its discretion in
denying his motion for a new trial because the State’s failure to
disclose the body camera footage and the SHF report violated his
due process rights and the State’s disclosure obligations. See Brady
v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963); Utah R. Crim. P. 16. “To establish
a Brady violation, a defendant must show (1) that the prosecution
suppressed evidence, (2) that the evidence is favorable to the
accused, and (3) that the evidence is material to either guilt or to
punishment.” Carter v. State, 2025 UT 13, ¶ 73, 570 P.3d 315
(cleaned up). Evidence is considered material “if there is a
reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to
the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been
different.” Id. ¶ 97 (cleaned up). The “materiality of suppressed
evidence must be evaluated in the context of the entire record.”
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State v. Marx
Tillman v. State, 2005 UT 56, ¶ 32, 128 P.3d 1123. Thus, we weigh
“the cumulative or collective effect of the evidence” in
“determining whether the disclosure would have created a
reasonable probability of a different result.” Id. Doing so here, we
conclude the evidence is not material and, as a result, Marx’s
Brady claim fails.
¶26 Marx argues the body camera footage was not only
favorable to him but also material because it showed that Mother
had repeatedly asked Taylor if he had sexually abused her and
Taylor had repeatedly denied any abuse. He asserts this would
have bolstered his argument that Taylor’s eventual disclosures
were contaminated by Mother’s repeated questioning about
abuse. But Marx fails to acknowledge that while this evidence
may have been favorable to him when viewed in one light, it
could have harmed his defense as well. The reason Mother gave
for repeatedly asking Taylor about potential abuse was Ex-wife
repeatedly expressing her concerns to Mother regarding Marx’s
“weird” behavior toward Taylor. So while Mother’s repeated
questions to Taylor may have benefited Marx’s defense, the
reason for her actions would likely have negated this benefit.
¶27 Regarding the SHF report, Marx argues it corroborates
Mother’s repeated questioning of Taylor and also indicates no
physical injuries to Taylor were discovered. Although Marx
acknowledges that the SHF report highlights that the type of
abuse Taylor alleged, combined with the length of time since the
abuse occurred, made any physical evidence unlikely, he argues
that Mother having Taylor undergo a physical examination
demonstrates the motivations of Mother to harm Marx and
undermines the credibility of Taylor’s allegations. We do not
agree that the mere fact that Taylor underwent a physical
examination would have helped Marx to discredit Taylor’s
allegations of abuse. At best, the examination shows that there
were no recent injuries. But, as Marx admits, that would not be
surprising because Taylor testified that the abuse ended when she
was eight years old, five years before she reported the abuse to
Mother and underwent the examination. And Mother scheduling
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State v. Marx
a medical examination while they were at the CJC for Taylor’s
interview just as easily demonstrates Mother’s willingness to
comply with a full investigation as it does a nefarious purpose,
particularly where the examination was not likely to—and, in fact,
did not—provide any evidence to corroborate Taylor’s
allegations. So, the SHF report would not have been favorable to
Marx’s defense.
¶28 Moreover, weighing the cumulative effect of the disclosure
of the body camera footage and the SHF report, we conclude that
their disclosure would not have created a reasonable probability
of a different result. Marx asserts this evidence would have made
a difference in the verdict because this was “a credibility case.”
But it was not simply a he said/she said case. In addition to
testimony from Taylor and Marx, the jury had before it the Pretext
Call and Detective’s testimony about his call with Marx. Both calls
created credibility problems for Marx that the body camera
footage and the SHF report could not overcome. In the Pretext
Call, after Marx responded to Taylor’s question about what to tell
the counselor he brought it up two more times. Indeed, Marx told
Taylor three separate times that he would “prefer [she] not” tell
her counselor anything, and told her twice that he could “get into
a lot of trouble” if she did. Marx never denied that something
happened. The jury heard the audio of this call, including the shift
in Marx’s tone when telling Taylor he would get in trouble if she
said anything. 4 And in the call with Detective, Marx responded to
the allegations not with an immediate denial but by repeatedly
asking when the abuse allegedly happened because “he wasn’t
around her that often.” Detective testified that it was not until
later in the phone call that Marx denied the abuse, and Detective
also described Marx’s demeanor as “matter of fact” and “put off”
rather than “angry.” Moreover, even though Detective described
the allegations concerning “the chocolate sauce,” Marx never
mentioned to Detective that he had a chocolate allergy.
4. We reviewed the audio recording of the Pretext Call ourselves
and noted the shift in Marx’s tone.
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State v. Marx
¶29 Additionally, Marx’s testimony at trial undermined his
own credibility. He testified on direct examination that he was
never alone with Taylor from the time she was born until he
moved to Layton. Asked by Counsel how sure he was about his
testimony, Marx testified that he was “[v]ery certain.” At the
conclusion of his testimony, a juror asked in a written question:
“Mr. Marx, is it your claim that you never spent time alone with
your daughter between the years 2006 and 2011?” Marx
responded, “That is true. That’s my claim.” Marx’s insistence that
he never spent any time alone with his young daughter over a
five-year period that included when he stayed home to care for
her after she was born as well as a years-long stretch thereafter
where she lived with him about half the time likely left the jury
with doubts as to his credibility that neither the body camera
footage nor the SHF report could have mitigated.
¶30 We conclude there was not a reasonable probability the
outcome at trial would have been different and, thus, the evidence
was not material. Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its
discretion in denying the motion for a new trial.
II. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
¶31 Marx presents two claims of ineffective assistance of
counsel. First, he argues as an alternative to his Brady claim that
Counsel was ineffective for failing to obtain the body camera
footage and the SHF report and use them at trial. Second, he
argues that Counsel was ineffective for failing to present evidence
of his chocolate allergy.
¶32 “To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel,
a criminal defendant must show that (1) counsel’s performance
was deficient and (2) the deficient performance prejudiced the
defense.” State v. Miller, 2023 UT App 85, ¶ 25, 535 P.3d 390
(cleaned up); see also Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687
(1984). To demonstrate deficient performance, “the defendant
must show that counsel’s representation fell below an objective
standard of reasonableness.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688. To
20230044-CA 11 2026 UT App 109
State v. Marx
establish prejudice, “a defendant must present sufficient evidence
to support a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s
unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have
been different.” Archuleta v. Galetka, 2011 UT 73, ¶ 40, 267 P.3d 232
(cleaned up). “A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient
to undermine confidence in the outcome.” State v. Carranza, 2023
UT App 72, ¶ 42, 533 P.3d 850 (cleaned up). “A defendant’s
inability to establish either element defeats a claim for ineffective
assistance of counsel.” Miller, 2023 UT App 85, ¶ 25 (cleaned up).
Here, both of Marx’s claims fail for lack of prejudice.
A. Body Camera Footage and SHF Report
¶33 Marx asserts that even if there was no violation of the
State’s duty to disclose evidence, Counsel rendered ineffective
assistance by not requesting the body camera footage and the SHF
report and using them at trial. But even if we assume, without
deciding, that Counsel performed deficiently, Marx has failed to
demonstrate the required prejudice.
¶34 The prejudice analysis for ineffective assistance is the same
as the materiality analysis for a Brady violation; both require us to
consider whether there is a reasonable probability that the
outcome at trial would have been different without the asserted
error. Compare Archuleta, 2011 UT 73, ¶ 40 (providing that to
establish prejudice for ineffective assistance of counsel, “a
defendant must present sufficient evidence to support a
reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional
errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different”
(cleaned up)), with Carter v. State, 2025 UT 13, ¶ 97, 570 P.3d 315
(stating that evidence is material for purposes of a Brady violation
“if there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been
disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceedings would have
been different” (cleaned up)). Because we have already concluded
the body camera footage and the SHF report were not material,
see supra Part I, we also conclude Marx was not prejudiced by
Counsel’s failure to obtain and use them at trial. Accordingly, this
claim of ineffective assistance of counsel fails.
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State v. Marx
B. Medical Evidence of Marx’s Allergy
¶35 Marx also claims Counsel rendered ineffective assistance
by “failing to investigate and use medical evidence supporting
Marx’s allergy/sensitivity to chocolate.” Marx points to specific
evidence he provided to Counsel—namely, a self-conducted
experiment where Marx poured melted chocolate on his hand and
photographed it, and the results of a physician-administered skin-
prick test—as the evidence Counsel should have used at trial.
Marx also argues Counsel should have called an expert medical
witness to testify regarding the allergy. However, we conclude
that even if we assume Counsel performed deficiently by not
presenting evidence of this type at trial, it did not prejudice Marx.
¶36 First, we address the evidence Marx provided Counsel
concerning his chocolate allergy—the self-conducted experiment
and the skin prick test. In his allergy experiment, Marx poured “a
large . . . portion of melted chocolate on the back of his hand” and
photographed the results. The pictures show the skin on the back
of his hand was red, irritated, and slightly bruised. Marx admitted
to washing his hand and scratching it “with some vigor”
following the experiment but before the pictures were taken and
before any medical evaluation of the sensitivity was done. And
the physician’s report of Marx’s skin prick test indicated only a
“sensitivity to chocolate” and stated further testing was necessary
to conclusively diagnose an allergy.
¶37 This evidence not only fails to indicate a severe reaction, it
also undermines the testimony Marx and his father offered at trial.
Marx testified he experienced symptoms of anaphylaxis when he
ate chocolate as a child and he carries an Epipen due to the
severity of his allergy. Marx’s father similarly testified to a family
history of chocolate allergies with severe reactions and described
Marx’s reaction as being the most severe in three generations. In
contrast, the self-conducted test and skin prick test showed only
mild skin irritation. Because of this, we conclude Marx was not
prejudiced by Counsel’s failure to present this evidence at trial.
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State v. Marx
¶38 Second, we address the lack of an expert witness regarding
Marx’s allergy. Marx faults Counsel for “failing to present a
medical expert” to confirm his chocolate allergy and its severity,
but he “has not identified any medical expert who would have
testified on [his] behalf at trial or set forth that expert’s expected
testimony in the record.” State v. Gerber, 2015 UT App 76, ¶ 14, 347
P.3d 852. 5 It is therefore unknown whether Counsel would have
been able to find an expert willing and available to corroborate
Marx’s and his father’s testimony regarding the existence and
severity of Marx’s asserted chocolate allergy. “Accordingly, any
argument that more investigation would have resulted in useful
expert testimony is speculative and not sufficient to show a
reasonable likelihood of a more favorable outcome for” Marx. See
State v. Suhail, 2023 UT App 15, ¶ 124, 525 P.3d 550.
¶39 Thus, Marx has failed to demonstrate that Counsel
provided ineffective assistance regarding his chocolate allergy.
III. Rule 23B Remand
¶40 The Utah Rules of Appellate Procedure allow defendants
to “move the court to remand the case to the trial court for entry
of findings of fact, necessary for the appellate court’s
determination of ineffective assistance of counsel.” Utah R. App.
P. 23B(a). “Defendants seeking to develop an ineffective
assistance of counsel claim through a rule 23B motion face a high
bar.” State v. Samora, 2023 UT 5, ¶ 19, 529 P.3d 330. We grant such
a motion only “upon a nonspeculative allegation of facts, not fully
appearing in the record on appeal, which, if true, could support a
determination that counsel was ineffective.” Utah R. App. P.
23B(a).
¶41 Marx asserts Counsel provided ineffective assistance by
not consulting with and calling “a qualified forensic expert that
5. Marx did not request a remand under rule 23B of the Utah Rules
of Appellate Procedure to more fully develop the record on this
point.
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State v. Marx
could opine on issues of memory, child development, and . . . false
allegations of sexual abuse.” He has provided the declaration of
an expert witness (New Expert) containing the testimony New
Expert would have offered at trial on these issues, including
(1) that episodic memory “has not been proven to exist in humans
in any measurable capacity prior to the age of 4”; (2) that “[i]t’s
generally understood in the forensic and clinical psychology
community that 3–5 year old children have no capabilities to form
and accurately retain episodic memories or they have limited
functions which should not be relied upon without independent
corroboration”; and (3) that “[i]t is common knowledge in the
forensic and clinical psychology research community that false
allegations of sexual abuse can occur at a higher frequency during
contentious divorce proceedings.”
¶42 When analyzing whether Marx has carried his burden of
demonstrating ineffective assistance of counsel to warrant a rule
23B remand, this court conducts “a counterfactual analysis—we
contemplate what would have happened but for the ineffective
assistance.” Samora, 2023 UT 5, ¶ 22 (cleaned up). “In making this
determination, we consider the totality of the evidence, taking
into account such factors as whether the errors affect the entire
evidentiary picture or have an isolated effect and how strongly
the verdict is supported by the record.” Id. (cleaned up). Here,
even accepting Marx’s contention that Counsel performed
deficiently by not calling New Expert, he has failed to show that
he was prejudiced.
¶43 Marx asserts that “[t]his case was a credibility case” and
that New Expert’s testimony would have sufficiently undermined
Taylor’s credibility such that “at least one juror would had altered
their conclusion in this case.” But when we consider the totality of
the evidence before the jury, there is not a reasonable probability
that the addition of New Expert’s testimony would have resulted
in a different outcome.
¶44 First, as explained, see supra ¶¶ 28–29, the evidence at trial
went beyond the testimony of Taylor and Marx. The jury heard
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State v. Marx
the recording of Marx’s statements to Taylor in the Pretext Call,
Detective’s testimony about his phone call with Marx, and Marx’s
testimony at trial. And at least one juror directly questioned
Marx’s dubious claim that he had never been alone with Taylor
from the time of her birth in 2006 until 2011. All this evidence—at
a minimum—created credibility problems for Marx’s defense that
New Expert’s testimony would not have overcome.
¶45 Second, New Expert’s proposed testimony about
childhood memory could not explain why Taylor was able to
recall the details about the house in St. George—its color, the
layout, the location of her bed in her bedroom, and the specific
mural painted on the wall in her bedroom—but would not also be
able to recall that Marx made her lick chocolate off his penis in
that same house. 6 Indeed, New Expert’s declaration merely
indicated that “[m]emories from a very young age may not be
accurately retrieved or recalled.” (Emphasis added). Thus, New
Expert could not have testified that Taylor’s memory from that
age was necessarily fabricated.
¶46 Finally, New Expert’s testimony that it is “common general
knowledge in the forensic and clinical psychology research
community that false allegations of sexual abuse can occur at a
higher frequency during contentious divorce proceedings”
(emphasis added) would likely not have been significant to the
jury. After all, New Expert’s testimony would support only the
possibility that false allegations occur at a higher frequency in cases
where there is a high-conflict divorce; he did not provide any
specific percentages or otherwise quantify the frequency. And in
any event, the fact that false allegations can possibly occur more
often in cases where there is a contentious divorce is likely
understood by the average juror.
6. Given that Marx made no attempt to contradict Taylor’s
testimony regarding the details of the house, the jury would likely
have inferred that her recollection was correct.
20230044-CA 16 2026 UT App 109
State v. Marx
¶47 In sum, we do not believe New Expert’s proposed
testimony would have created a reasonable likelihood of a
different result for Marx, and we accordingly deny his request for
a remand.
CONCLUSION
¶48 The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying
Marx’s motion for a new trial because the failure to provide the
body camera footage and the SHF report was not a Brady
violation. And each of Marx’s ineffective assistance claims fails
because he cannot demonstrate prejudice. Finally, we deny his
motion for a rule 23B remand because he cannot demonstrate that
Counsel was constitutionally ineffective.
20230044-CA 17 2026 UT App 109