PAUL G. CASSELL portrait
  • Ronald N. Boyce Presidential Professor of Criminal Law and University Distinguished Professor of Law, College Of Law
  • Distinguished Professor, College Of Law
  • Distinguished Professor, College Of Law - Dean

Professional Service

  • Crime victims litigation. Professor Cassell frequently handles pro bono cases for crime victims attempting to assert rights in the criminal justice process. 12/2007 - present

Internal Service

  • Board for the Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis. 08/17/2018 - present. Other service.

Testimony

“Problems in Deposing Crime Victims,” Testimony Before the Utah Senate Judiciary Committee (Jan. 19, 2023). 
 
“Admitting Prior Sex Assault Convictions in Criminal Cases,” Testimony Before the Utah House Judiciary Committee (Jan. 26, 2022).
 
“Crime Victim Service Consolidation,” Testimony Before the Utah House Interim Criminal Justice Committee (Sept. 15, 2021).
 
“Marsy’s Law for Tennessee,” Testimony Before the Tennessee House Subcomm. on Criminal Justice,” Apr. 7, 2021 (Nashville, Tennessee).
 
“In Support of Affirmative Consent Legislation,” Testimony Before the Utah House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee” (Feb. 22, 2021). 
 
“A Marsy’s Law for Mississippi?,” Testimony Before the Mississippi Interim Constitutional Revision Committee (Dec. 3, 2020). 
 
“Proposed Affirmative Consent Legislation,” Presentation to the Utah Crime Code Revision Commission” (Oct. 26, 2020).
 
“Amending Utah’s Rules of Evidence to Create Presumptive Admissibility of Similar Crimes Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases,” Testimony to the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules of Evidence (Oct. 13, 2020). 
 
“Explaining the Nation's Homicide Spikes: The Minneapolis Effect and the Decline in Proactive Policing,” Testimony to the National Commission COVID-19 and Criminal Justice (Sept. 3, 2020).
 
“Public Safety and Bail Reform,” Testimony Submitted to the Utah House Judiciary Comm., Feb. 25, 2020.  
 
“The Need for Iowa to Adopt a Victims’ Rights Amendment,” Debate Before Rep. Steven Holt, Chair, Iowa House Judiciary Comm., Dec. 18, 2019 (Des Moines, Iowa).  
 
“Reforming Utah’s Insanity Defense,” Testimony Before the Utah Interim Judiciary Comm, Aug. 1, 2019.  
 
“Updating Idaho’s Victims’ Rights Amendment,” Testimony Before the Idaho Senate State Affairs Comm., March 4, 2019 (Boise, Idaho).  
 
“Prosecution Review Amendments,” Written Testimony Before the Utah House Judiciary Committee, February 20, 2019.  
 
“Updating Idaho’s Victims’ Rights Amendment,” Written and Oral Testimony Before the Idaho Senate State Affairs Comm., Feb. 8, 2019 (Boise, Idaho).  
 
“H.B. 170: Responsibilities in an Emergency,” Written and Oral Testimony Before the Utah House Judiciary Comm., Feb. 6, 2019.
 
“Opposition to Overturning State v. Strief in Utah Statutory Law,” Written and Oral Testimony Before the Utah House Judiciary Comm., Feb. 27, 2018.  
 
“Marsy’s Law for New Hampshire,” Presentation to the Legislative Luncheon of the New Hampshire House of Representatives,” Feb. 22, 2018 (Concord, New Hampshire).
 
“Concerns About Amending Utah’s Constitutional Search and Seizure Provision,” Written and Oral Testimony before the Utah House Judiciary Committee, Feb. 13, 2018.  
 
“Protecting Crime Victims in Iowa’s Constitution,” Testimony before the Iowa Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, Jan. 31, 2018 (Des Moines, Iowa).
 
“Protecting Crime Victims in Iowa’s Constitution,” Testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Subcommittee, Jan. 31, 2018 (Des Moines, Iowa).
 
“Marsy’s Law for Florida,” Further Testimony before the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission, Jan. 19, 2018 (Tallahassee, Florida).  
 
“Marsy’s Law for Florida,” Testimony before the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission, Dec. 12, 2017 (Tallahassee, Florida).  
 
“S.J. Res. 53, H.J. Res. 47, Regarding Wisconsin’s Constitutional Amendment Protecting Crime Victims’ Rights,” Testimony before the Joint Committee of the Wisconsin Senate and House, June 15, 2017 (Madison, Wisconsin).
 
“S.J. Res. 17 Regarding Nevada’s Constitutional Amendment Protecting Crime Victims’ Rights,” Testimony before the Nevada Assembly Governmental Affairs Comm., May 9, 2017 (Carson City, Nevada).
 
“S.J. Res. 103 Regarding Idaho’s Constitutional Amendment Protecting Crime Victims’ Rights,” Testimony before the Idaho House State Affairs Comm., March 20, 2017 (Boise, Idaho).  
 
“S.J. Res. 103 Regarding Idaho’s Constitutional Amendment Protecting Crime Victims’ Rights,” Testimony before the Idaho Senate State Affairs Comm., March 10, 2017 (Boise, Idaho).  
 
“Amending Utah Rule of Evidence 1102 to Protect Child Sexual Assault Victims,” Testimony before the Supreme Court’s Advisory Comm. on Utah Rules of Evidence, Feb. 21, 2017.
 
“H.B. 399 Regarding Victims’ Rights Advocates,” Testimony before the Utah House Judiciary Committee, March 1, 2016 (written testimony submitted).  
 
“The Victim’s Rights Amendment,” Testimony before the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, May 1, 2015 (Washington, D.C.).

Honors & Awards

  • Mel Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award for Crime Victims’ Rights . Utah Council on Victim’s of Crime, 05/2022
  • Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award – National Crime Victims’ Service Award. U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime , 10/2020
  • Outstanding Crime Victims’ Work Award. National Crime Victims’ Law Institute , 09/2020
  • Outstanding Teaching Award. S.J. Quinney College of Law, 01/2020
  • Inaugural Member. Council on Criminal Justice, 01/2020
  • Fellow. American Bar Foundation, 04/2016
  • Member. American Law Institute, 01/2016
  • Christine M. Durham Public Service Award. UVU Christine M. Durham Prelaw Club, 01/2015
  • Faculty Achievement Award for Research Excellence. University of Utah College of Law, 05/2014
  • Scott M. Matheson Award for Outstanding Service to Utah Law Related Education. 01/2013
  • Paul M. Bator Award (for outstanding young law professor in the country). Federalist Society, 06/1998
  • Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence. University of Utah College of Law , 05/1997
  • Order of the Coif. Stanford Law School, 06/1984
  • President. Stanford Law Review, 03/1983

Affiliations

  • Utah Bar , Member, 05/1992 - present

In the Media

  • Professor Cassell is frequently quoted in major media on criminal justice issues, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the L.A. Times, Sixty Minutes, and other sources. 12/2007.