Jose Diaz has been convicted in a fatal barroom shooting despite his brother's claim to have been the one who pulled the trigger.
The jury deliberated four hours Thursday before convicting Diaz, 33, of homicide in the Nov. 7 shooting of Mario Lopez, 34, at the Raging Bull bar, 917 S. State.Lopez was shot through the heart and died on the dance floor, after a pool-cue brawl between him and his companions and Diaz and his brother.
Diaz asked to be sentenced immediately, and 3rd District Judge Richard Moffat ordered him to serve five years to life in prison.
His brother, Carlos Garcia, could face charges of perjury, carrying a concealed weapon or acting as an accomplice to homicide, Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney Howard Lemcke said.
Garcia initially was charged as an accomplice, but the case against him was dismissed for lack of evidence.
Defense attorney Charles Loyd said he was surprised by the verdict because he felt Garcia's testimony raised a reasonable doubt about Diaz's guilt.
In closing arguments, Loyd said Diaz was innocent because Garcia fired the gun, and Garcia was innocent because he fired in self-defense.
Diaz did not testify during the trial.
Witnesses said Lopez was "in full flight" as Diaz chased him through the bar. The bar's bouncer said Lopez had fallen and shooting him is revenge."
Garcia has pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of attempted drug distribution and is being held in jail pending sentencing next month.