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OGDEN — A 16-year-old West Point boy convicted earlier this year in juvenile court of murdering his two younger brothers now faces a new charge in adult court.
Aza Ray Vidinhar was charged Friday in Weber County's 2nd District Court with assault by a prisoner, a third-degree felony. Because Vidinhar was certified as an adult on his previous charges, his new charge was automatically filed in adult court.
The incident happened on Nov. 1. Vidinhar, who is in custody at the Mill Creek Detention facility in Ogden, "took a broom and attacked another male that is also in custody," according to a probable cause affidavit filed in court.
"Aza caused minor bruising and scratches to the other male. The other male did not fight back," the affidavit states.
In June, Vidinhar struck an unusual plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of murder for the May 22, 2013, stabbing deaths of his younger brothers Alex Vidinhar, 10, and Benjie Vidinhar, 4, in their West Point home. He pleaded guilty in juvenile court to one count of murder and in adult court to the second count.
It is believed to be the first time in Utah state court history that a defendant pleaded guilty in a single murder investigation in both juvenile and adult courts.
Your conduct will be the deciding factor in what happens in the adult system. You do understand that when your time in juvenile court is finished, you'll go to adult prison.
–Judge Janice Frost, 2nd District juvenile judge
Under the deal, Vidinhar would have remained in juvenile detention until he was 21, unless he failed to follow through with treatment or caused problems, at which time he would be transferred into the adult system.
"Your conduct will be the deciding factor in what happens in the adult system," 2nd District Juvenile Judge Janice Frost warned Vindinhar when he was sentenced. "You do understand that when your time in juvenile court is finished, you'll go to adult prison."
Once he completed his time in the juvenile system, Vidinhar was to be "officially" sentenced to 15 years to life in the adult system. At the time, his attorneys said they planned to ask the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole for an early review hearing.
Now Vidinhar will remain in the Weber County Jail until his new case is adjudicated. His age won't have an effect on where he's housed in the jail and he'll go through the same classification process as all other prisoners, said Weber County Sheriff's Sgt. Land Findlay.
When Vidinhar was sentenced in June, neither prosecutors nor his attorneys brought up the issue of whether Vidinhar has a possible mental illness. At one point during the hearing, however, the judge noted that Vidinhar was on medication and asked if it impeded his ability to understand the plea deal.
"Kind of helps it, actually," he told the judge.
Vidinhar is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on the new charge Monday.
