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ST. GEORGE — More than four years after a man was shot to death in Apple Valley, the defendant, who allegedly confessed to the shooting in 2019, entered a "no contest" plea.
A pretrial hearing on the case was scheduled to take place at the 5th District Court on April 11, less than four days before the start of the trial. But instead of a review, defendant Jason Howard Clinger, 56, of Apple Valley, entered a plea of "no contest" to first-degree murder. The remaining charges were dismissed.
The hearing was held before District Judge Keith C. Barnes. Prosecutor Zachary Weiland represented the state, and Clinger was represented by defense attorney Ryan Stout.
According to the statement supporting the "no contest" plea, the defendant agreed that his conduct provided the basis for the charges and accepted the conviction but was not admitting to the crime.
Read the full article at St. George News.