Richfield Mayor Bryan Burrows has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges after admitting he fired a gun near a building and entered private property without permission while retrieving a deer he shot.
The plea in abeyance, accepted last week by Sixth District Judge Mark McIff, requires Burrows to pay $690 in fines and avoid committing any new crimes for one year. If he meets those conditions, the charges will be dismissed.
What led to the charges
According to court documents, Burrows shot a deer within 600 feet of a building, which is prohibited under Utah hunting laws. After the shot, he entered a locked and cultivated field to recover the deer without getting the landowner’s consent.
Burrows was charged with unlawful taking of protected wildlife while trespassing and improper discharge of a dangerous weapon — both class B misdemeanors.
He submitted his plea just one day after narrowly winning reelection in the city’s general election.
Burrows: “I made a mistake”
Burrows said he did not intend to break the law.
“I was hunting deer and made a mistake and realized and went down and took care of it,” he said. “I did the right thing after I screwed up.”
He acknowledged opening a lock to access the property after killing the deer.
For more details about Utah hunting regulations, residents can refer to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Information about the responsibilities of local elected officials is available through the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
