Lori Vallow to appear in court Friday, represent herself in Arizona murder conspiracy trials
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PHOENIX — Lori Vallow is scheduled to appear before a Maricopa County judge Friday morning for her first hearing since she was approved to represent herself in court.
Vallow was convicted in Idaho in 2023 for killing her children, Tylee and JJ, who used to live in the Valley.
She was sentenced to life in prison in Idaho in that case. Her current husband, Chad Daybell, was sentenced to death in Idaho for the same case.
A few months after her sentencing in Idaho, Vallow was extradited to Arizona to face two counts of Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder.
One case is out of Chandler in the July 2019 death of her former husband, Charles Vallow.
The other case is out of Gilbert involving an October 2019 shooting attempt at Lori Vallow’s niece’s ex-husband, who ultimately wasn’t injured.
Each case will have its own trial.
Before allowing her to represent herself, the judge asked Vallow a series of questions to make sure she understood that she’d be held to the same standard as an attorney.
“There are serious disadvantages and dangers to representing yourself,” said Judge Justin Beresky in a hearing back in December. “Can you just tell me a little bit about why you want to represent yourself?”
“Yes your honor,” Lori Vallow replied. “For the past five years I’ve been incarcerated I have taken it upon myself to study case law, and procedures in the state of Idaho and Arizona as well as federally.
“In the past 10 years prior to incarceration, I did study procedure in family law,” she continued. “And I have real trial experience…”
The trial experience she detailed includes the Idaho criminal case where she was convicted and sentenced to life in prison and family court cases out of Maricopa County that were filed more than a decade ago.
Her most recent public defenders will stay on as advisory counsel. The judge advised that she could always request to have the attorneys represent her again, but she wouldn’t be able to switch back to representing herself. If the attorneys take back over, she would waive any claim for inadequate representation.
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