Frederic Oddone

Case No. 20000596, 2002 04.22 6

In 1998, Judge Oddone heard a case involving a minor who was claiming to have been the subject of an illegal search. The Judge decided that, as a minor, the accused was not accorded the same rights to privacy as would be accorded an adult. The Judge's decision was subsequently overturned by the Utah Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals ruled that the accused did have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and therefore, ruled that the search was unlawful. A certiorari petition was sent to and accepted by the Utah State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then found, in a 5-0 ruling, that the accused had no reasonable expectation of privacy . The Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the appellate court and agreed with Judge Oddone's original ruling on the matter.^[5]

In January 2005, Judge Oddone was assigned by the presiding judge of the Utah Juvenile Court to review a videotaped interview entered as evidence in a custody case between the State of Utah and Heidi Mattingly-Foster. Mattingly-Foster, one wife within a known polygamist family, was placed on trial after reportedly abusing her ten children and using her children as leverage. Judge Oddone's participation in the case stemmed from a need to review a videotaped interview with one of the children. The interview was obtained through a different, criminal investigation. The State of Utah was hesitant to give Mattingly-Foster a copy of the interview, unsure as to whether she would use the evidence for unsavory reasons. Judge Oddone was assigned to review the tape to determine whether any information contained within had any bearing on the custody case.^[6]

Case No. 2005009, 2005 Ut. App. 146

In 2005, a case that originally sat before Judge Oddone was sent to the Utah Court of Appeals. In this situation, Judge Oddone had terminated that parental rights of the defendant, after reviewing the prosecution's evidence of "neglect, unfitness, and failure to remedy the circumstances".^[7] The defendant appealed the termination of her parental rights, claiming that the prosecution did not present sufficient evidence to prove the charges. The Utah Court of Appeals upheld Judge Oddone's decision, stating that the juvenile court is given a "'wide latitude of discretion as to the judgments arrived at' based upon not only the court's opportunity to judge credibility firsthand, but also based on the juvenile court judges' 'special training, experience and interest in this field,'".^[7]

Case No. 20080396, 2009 Ut. App. 42

In 2009, another of Judge Oddone's cases was appealed to the Utah Court of Appeals. The defendant appealed the Judge's original decision to terminate his parental rights. The Utah Court of Appeals affirmed Judge Oddone's original decision to terminate the parental rights of the father and affirmed the finding that the father was an unfit parent.^[8]

Judge Oddone is married.^[2] The Judge is also an avid basketball fan, making a point of attending every NCAA tournament game held at the University of Utah's Huntsman Center, a tradition dating back to 1979.^[9] The Judge also enjoys trout fishing. Judge Oddone is a co-founder of the Utah non-profit, international adoption agency, Children's House International.^[10]