Sentencing rescheduled for Jason Relopez

Jason Relopez appears in 1st District Court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday. Relopez was bound over to stand trial for rape and aggravated sexual assault.

LOGAN — The sentencing for Jason Relopez has been rescheduled for next Tuesday, as attorneys for both sides have agreed upon amended terms that could spare the 27-year-old from serving any prison time.

Relopez has been awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to assaulting and raping two women. The former Sigma Chi fraternity member was arrested in July after one victim claimed he raped her multiple times while she was attending parties at the fraternity house, near Utah State University. A second victim later said she also was sexually assaulted while the two were doing homework in her residence.

In March, 1st District Court Judge Brian Cannell postponed sentencing saying he had concerns, after a psychosexual evaluation for Relopez came back with invalid results. The test was part of the previously agreed upon plea bargain that was supposed to determine if he was at risk of reoffending.

During Tuesday’s status conference, prosecutor Barbara Lachmar said she and public defender Shannon Demler had decided upon an amended agreement, after meeting in chambers with Judge Cannell.

Later, Demler said the new terms are that Relopez will undergo another psychosexual evaluation in the next week. If the test shows he is “low risk” he will be released from jail and transferred into a treatment program at the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center. If the results are moderate or high risk he will serve another year in jail, losing credit for the time he has already served, before being transferred to the treatment center.

Demler said he still isn’t happy that prosecutors reneged on their earlier agreement but at least the amendment will keep Relopez out of prison

Relopez remains in jail on a $500,000 bail. He has already been suspended from the fraternity and USU.

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