A federal jury has convicted James Vern Hatch of the American Fork bank robbery he told his wife had been ordered by God.
Following 3 1/2 hours of deliberations, the 12-member panel acquitted Hatch's wife, Darlene Hatch, 28, of aiding and abetting.U.S. District Chief Judge Bruce Jenkins scheduled James Hatch, 31, for sentencing on Nov. 20. Defense attorney Robert Archuleta said he will ask the judge to send his client to a psychiatric hospital rather than prison.
After the verdicts were read Monday, the Hatches held an impromptu prayer meeting near the federal courthouse's elevators. James Hatch told friends and relatives that he accepted the outcome as God's will.
"We always knew this was a very high-risk case. I think this is the saddest thing of my life. James is a very good and decent man. Everyone here feels grief," Archuleta said. "The jury could have found that because of diminished mental capacity, he couldn't have formed the intent to commit this crime."
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Schwendiman said, "Nobody's a winner in this case. You can't feel good about someone ruining his life with this stupid act. The point is, he's responsible for it."
Isaac Morley, defense attorney for Darlene Hatch, 28, said getting the not guilty verdict for his client was "bittersweet.
"The jury saw Darlene was not the type of person to aid and abet," he said.
In closing arguments earlier Monday, the federal attorney told jurors that Hatch knew what he was doing when he held up the Bank of American Fork on June 13.
"He admitted on the witness stand he knew what he was doing was wrong, that he knew he was committing a crime," Schwendiman said. "It's the commonest of human traits to want to blame some outside force for your behavior."
Defense attorneys countered that the Hatches, both of Manti, were confused and misled by a purported religious representative of the Phoenix-based Lord's Covenant Church when they robbed the bank of $2,500. James Hatch is also charged with using a firearm.
Archuleta said James Hatch suffered from "borderline mental retardation and didn't have the ability to understand the consequences of his behavior."
Archuleta frequently smacked his hands together to display to the jury the effects of two severe blows to the head Hatch had received earlier in life.