Summit County Bolsters Court Security Ahead of Kouri Richins Murder Trial

Summit County court officials say they are shifting resources to safety and security as the murder trial of Kouri Richins approaches, with opening statements scheduled to begin Feb. 23, 2026. A 12-person jury has been selected following a jury-selection process that began in early February, and the trial will be the only matter handled at the Park City courthouse for the duration.

Court security director Chris Palmer, of the Utah Administrative Office of the Courts, said the security posture will increase when the trial begins. "We’ll have more officers than we probably need," Palmer said, adding that planners aim to prevent disruptions and protect everyone involved. "Our goal is a fair, balanced, and safe environment for the administration of justice." Officials say lessons from the widely covered 2023 Gwyneth Paltrow civil case helped shape crowd management and media coordination plans for the upcoming trial.

The case centers on charges that Kouri Richins fatally poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022. Richins, a mother of three who previously authored a children's book about coping with grief, has drawn national attention since charges were filed. File photos show Richins in court at hearings in 2024, underscoring the long-running public interest in the case.

Jury selection was conducted using an extensive 23-page questionnaire containing 99 questions designed to probe potential jurors' media habits, television viewing, bumper stickers, charitable donations, divorce history, social media accounts, connections to victim rights organizations, and specific opinions about the case. Former prosecutor Nathan Evershed described the questionnaire as unusually long. "It's about as long as I've ever seen," Evershed said, adding that when the questionnaire explored opinions, social media and connections to victim rights organizations, "you can see they're really trying to get granular on this." Evershed also said both sides are using the process to dig deeply into prospective jurors, calling the effort intrusive but effective.

Observers of jury strategy noted opposing goals during voir dire. "A good prosecutor is going to be looking to get a group of humans together that looks like they could be cohesive in their decision-making. Whereas defense is going to look for people that might be willing to stand on their own a little and challenge the norms," said Ruth, a court observer quoted during the selection process. Ruth described the five-day timeline used for this jury pool as typical and warned that if an ideal jury cannot be found in that window, "They have to choose from who they’ve got. So that’s the way our court system is."

Pretrial disputes remain active. Defense attorneys have renewed requests to move the trial out of Summit County, and a judge recently denied a second change-of-venue request. Other pretrial rulings include limits on testimony from an FBI profiler and allegations from the defense that state investigators harassed or intimidated witnesses. Media access to parts of jury selection opened after a motion, and press logistics are part of the courthouse security plan.

For Summit County residents, the heightened security means more law enforcement presence around the courthouse, potential traffic and parking impacts near Park City, and concentrated media activity downtown. With opening statements set for Feb. 23, the courthouse will remain focused on this case, and residents should expect sustained operational changes and public access limitations while the trial proceeds.