Two co-founders behind a mostly maskless rave in Utah County during the pandemic s peak entered pleas in abeyance Monday to disobeying public health laws.
Deseret News
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Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
The Utah organizers of a Halloween rave attended by thousands during the pandemic have taken a plea deal requiring them to apologize to everyone else in the state for violating public health orders.
Erik Scott Little, 27, and Tanner Valerio, 26, are co-founders of The Tribe Utah, the group behind the mostly maskless gathering on Oct. 31 during a time when there were about 2,000 new COVID-19 cases daily in Utah. Authorities believe the event drew up to 10,000 people to the west side of Utah Lake.
Both pleaded guilty Monday in Utah County Justice Court to disobeying public health laws, a class B misdemeanor. They agreed to pen the apology letter, pay a $500 fine and abide by laws and public health directives for the next year. If they meet each condition, a judge will dismiss the cases under the terms of their pleas in abeyance.
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For many folks, last year was a quiet one, spent staying away from excessive friend gatherings, social distancing and generally staying indoors and away from the public. There were barely any shows or concerts of any kind, even the small, socially distanced kind. And yet, there were two events organizations who were relying on the line that the threats to mental health from quarantining far exceeded the very real dangers of COVID-19 which is why they just had to keep throwing lame concerts and parties.
These groups, The Tribe Utah and the aptly named Young/Dumb, were one could say dead-set on putting on big events despite mandates across the state against large gatherings. I call those parties lame not just because they endangering the health of all attendees, but of course also the health everyone those attendees came into contact with afterwards and because the two Utah County-based organizations
Young/Dumb is among those fined $10,000 for illegal Halloween party
Fines total $60,000, and nine people have been charged with misdemeanors.
(Associated Press file photo) Utah County Attorney David O. Leavitt, seen here in 2019, announced fines and misdemeanor charges on Monday, Feb. 8. 2021, against organizers of a Halloween party by Utah Lake that violated public health orders aimed at quelling the COVID-19 pandemic. | Updated: 10:00 p.m.
The organizers behind an unpermitted Halloween party that drew thousands to the Knolls near Utah Lake including owners of Young/Dumb and The Tribe Utah have each been fined $10,000 by the Utah County Health Department. And nine people are facing criminal charges for violating a public health order that mandated wearing masks or social distancing.