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SALT LAKE CITY -- A man who has sat on Utah's death row for more than 20 years returned to court Monday.
It's been more than two years now since Ralph Menzies appeal began anew, after the Utah Supreme Court ruled the appeals to his death sentence should start from scratch. His victim's family members who were there heard it will be another six months until he returns to court.
"He chose to be the judge, jury and executioner all in one day. This guy has been dragging us through court for 22 years now, and it's getting ridiculous, but we also have to have hope," said Matt Hunsaker.
Hunsaker was just 11 years old when his mother, Maureen Hunsaker, was killed in 1986. Menzies was convicted and sentenced to death. Over the past two decades, Hunsaker's parents and children have attended court hearings, hoping for the day when justice will be served in her murder.
"One day, it will happen one day, but which day that is? We know have a date for the petition to be filed. That's what we have been fighting for, for years. We fight about money for his attorneys to be paid. We fight about this. We fight about that, and now we actually have a date," Hunsaker said.
That date is a deadline for Menzies' new attorney to file a formal petition, appealing his conviction and sentence. He has six months from May 11 to have it filed.
Menzies, who earned a paralegal degree while in prison, is trying to get his attorney kicked off the case, arguing there is a conflict of interest. Prosecutors insist Menzies is only trying to derail the appeals process.
The judge did order that the attorney provide frequent progress updates so the case will be on schedule when Menzies returns to court in November.
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Story compiled with contributions from Sam Penrod and Marc Giauque.
