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(Salt Lake City-AP) -- The Utah Court of Appeals has overturned the conviction of a man sent to prison for rape and sexual assault.
The court today ruled that German Cruz Reyes' right to a fair trial was violated when jurors were given the wrong instructions.
The court also held that jurors were given instructions only at the beginning of the 2002 trial. That violates Utah law, which requires jurors to receive instructions at the end of evidence, too.
Reyes was convicted of two counts of felony aggravated sexual assault stemming from a February 2002 incident. He allegedly sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman who he found waiting outside of a Salt Lake City nightclub.
The court reversed the conviction and returned the case for a new trial.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
