Skye Lazaro and the attorneys at Ray Quinney & Nebeker P.C. have been leading Kouri Richins' defense in the civil and criminal cases against her, including for the alleged murder of her husband, Eric Richins.
The firm filed paperwork May 17 stating an "irreconcilable and nonwaivable situation" for the need to withdraw from her defense.
Court documents state the issues first arose in Richins' civil cases but involve the firm as a whole so it can no longer represent her in the criminal proceedings either. The specifics of the "irreconcilable" matter are unclear.
The firm stated the situation emerged after a hearing May 15 when Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik was to determine if there was enough evidence for Richins to stand trial for murder.
However, Richins' attorneys objected to all of Summit County prosecutors’ evidence and witness statements, delaying the case until June.
Now Richins' attorneys have asked the court to immediately grant the firm's request to withdraw and appoint new counsel to safeguard her constitutional rights and continue her defense in the charges against her.
The Summit County Attorney’s Office charged the Kamas mom of three with aggravated murder in May 2023, claiming Richins poisoned her husband with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in March 2022 for financial gain and to escape the marriage.
Richins faces 11 felony counts, including an alleged attempted murder on Valentine’s Day in 2022. She would go on to write a children’s book about grief.
She and her family have maintained her innocence while she’s been in the Summit County jail without bond for over a year.
Richins remains in custody as she awaits a decision on her legal counsel.
