Valynne Bowers trial canceled

FARMINGTON — Just days after attorneys involved in the case of former Bountiful Junior High math teacher Valynne Bowers said they were still hoping to broker a plea deal, her trial slated for later this month has been canceled.

Defense and prosecuting attorneys met Wednesday to argue whether a statement written by Bowers should be allowed in court, debating whether it was a confession or a letter of apology.

Bowers, 40, is accused of engaging in sexual activity with a student. She faces five counts of rape and three counts of forcible sodomy, all first-degree felonies, for her alleged involvement with a 14-year-old boy. If convicted, she faces a potential sentence of life in prison.

The trial, scheduled for April 20-23, was stricken from the court calendar Friday, in light of a motion prosecutors will file that should determine whether the case will go to trial or whether a plea deal will be reached, said Rick Westmoreland, deputy Davis County Attorney. He said the motion will ask the judge to limit what can be argued in court in an effort to ensure that defense attorneys won't "beat up" the victim if he is put on the stand.

"It will be an attempt on our part to keep the defense from arguing certain things that we consider to be either irrelevant or violating the victim's bill of rights, specifically as it relates to child victims," Westmoreland said.

But he said they are hoping the judge's decision on the motion will lead to a plea deal.

"I'm much more positive that we'll have a plea worked out in the matter," he said.

Bowers' case came to police attention after another teacher, Linda Nef, 46, confessed that she had engaged in sexual activity with the boy when he was 13. Nef pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, as part of a plea bargain in June and was sentenced to three years to life in prison in July.

Bowers previously declined two plea deals, including an offer to plead guilty to two charges of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, first-degree felonies that could carry potential prison terms of three years to life behind bars. The other offer was to plead guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a child, a second-degree felony, which could carry potential prison terms of one to 15 years.

e-mail: emorgan@desnews.com