SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s youngest state lawmaker appeared on Thursday’s episode of “Dr. Phil Primetime” to defend the importance of prioritizing victims, not perpetrators, in the criminal justice process.
State Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, earned the approval of Phil McGraw, one of the country’s most popular talk show hosts, and his audience, when he explained his frustration with policies that enable violent criminals to become repeat offenders.
“We’ve got to a point in our society where when someone commits a crime, we look at the criminal and say, ‘Well, what are these different factors that played into it,’ and completely ignore the innocent public,” Clancy said. “Any criminal justice system that doesn’t begin and end with keeping innocent people safe from repeat violent offenders is a failure.”
Clancy, who at age 27 was recently hired as a detective at the Provo Police Department, received applause when he explained how he had introduced a piece of legislation, HB308, that would ensure victims of crimes are informed throughout the entire judicial process with the help of a full-time victims’ rights coordinator.
Clancy was joined onstage by Candice Cooley, a Utah woman whose 19-year-old son Dylan Rounds was murdered by James Brenner, a violent repeat offender, in 2022. Cooley described what she said sometimes felt like an unserious investigation, which was ultimately followed by an unsatisfying conviction for the perpetrator who had previously served time for attempted murder, and according to some, should have still been in prison.
“Any criminal justice system that doesn’t begin & end with keeping innocent people safe from repeat violent offenders is a failure.” pic.twitter.com/mHLWahlDP9
— Tyler Clancy (@Clancy4Utah) December 6, 2024
The episode was recorded for McGraw’s new television network, Merit Street, in February, but was not released until Thursday. The delay may have been caused, in part, by new developments in the case surrounding Rounds’ murder, Clancy said, including the discovery of his remains in April, Brenner’s guilty plea in May and sentencing in July.
To record the “Dr. Phil” episode, Clancy told the Deseret News he had to fly directly to and from work at the Utah Capitol during the 2024 legislative session. Weeks after appearing with McGraw, who Clancy described as “super down-to-earth” and “very smart,” Clancy was able to get his bill, HB308, signed into law.
In addition to shoring up protections around victims’ rights, the new law requires prosecuting attorneys to consult with victims before taking certain steps in domestic violence cases and to keep victims in the loop about other procedural changes.
Clancy said he hopes this bill goes a long way toward answering the question, “How do we make this system that already exists actually work for those who need it?” Clancy believes the 2024 election shows citizens around the country are looking for the answer too.
California voters reject soft on crime approach
In November, Californians overwhelmingly rejected a soft-on-crime ballot proposition originally passed in 2014 that downgraded most thefts from felonies to misdemeanors, allowing thefts under $950 and hard drug use to go essentially unpunished.
Over 70% of voters — including a majority in every one of California’s 58 counties — supported Proposition 36 which returned harsher penalties for these crimes, Clancy pointed out.
Citizens of Los Angeles County also delivered a rebuke to District Attorney George Gascón. Considered one of the most progressive district attorneys in the country, Gascón banned the pursuit of the death penalty and stopped the prosecution of juveniles as adults after getting elected in 2020.
Nearly 60% of county residents voted to turn the page in favor of Gascón’s opponent, a moderate former federal prosecutor, Nathan Hochman.
“I think common sense is continuing to lead out,” Clancy said. “I’m feeling pretty confident that folks are seeing how we can still be compassionate to people who make mistakes without jeopardizing the safety and health of our communities.”
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