SALT LAKE CITY — Sentencing was delayed Monday for a man who pleaded guilty to killing his 4-year-old daughter after issues arose with a pre-sentence report.
Clinton Joseph Hart, 22, of Kearns, was to be sentenced on reduced charges of child-abuse homicide and three counts of child abuse, all second-degree felonies, before 3rd District Judge Robert Faust.
Hart's 4-year-old daughter, Vanessa, died June 13, 2010, from what doctors described as "multiple severe injuries, including massive trauma to (her) head, massive swelling of (her) brain" and neurological damage possibly caused by several impacts to the head.
Hart's attorney, Steven Shapiro, asked that the hearing be continued because the pre-sentence report did not arrive within 72 business days and contained information he called "unprofessional and probably unethical."
"There were statements never made previous that changed the nature of the case, and there's no support in the evidence," Shapiro said after the hearing.
He said the 72-hour requirement was less of an issue than the statements he said were made by state prosecutors, which prosecutor Rob Parrish said in court he would have stricken from the report.
Regardless, the young girl's grandmother said she thinks it is taking too long to see justice in the case.
"This is a joke," Linda Romero said. "This has been going on for a whole year. Clint deserves at least life in prison."
The woman alleges her granddaughter was abused for four or five months before she was killed.
"This needs to be over and done with," she said.
Clint Hart left for work about 8:30 a.m. that June day and returned home after receiving a text message from his then-girlfriend, Marina Navarro, saying that Vanessa had fallen down the stairs, was lethargic and was having a hard time breathing. When Hart arrived home about 11:30 a.m., he found Vanessa unconscious, charging documents state.
Hart was initially charged with murder, a first-degree felony; two counts of child abuse and one count of obstructing justice, second-degree felonies. Long arguing that the case was overcharged, Shapiro said that when his client is sentenced Aug. 8, he will ask that the man not be given prison time.
Hart could face a sentence of one to 15 years in prison on each count.
Navarro recently pleaded guilty to murder, a first-degree felony. She was originally facing charges of capital murder and three counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony.
Her sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29.
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