Park City lawyer Joe Wrona receives year in jail for sexual assault, incest

Third Judicial District Court District. Photo: Will Scadden // Townlift

Joseph Edward Wrona, a former Park City attorney, will serve 364 days in Summit County Jail, undergo 48 months of supervised probation, and comply with standard sex offender conditions, including registration.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Former Park City attorney, Joseph Edward Wrona, was sentenced on Jan. 5 after pleading guilty to forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, and incest, a third-degree felony. He will serve 364 days in Summit County Jail, undergo 48 months of supervised probation, and comply with standard sex offender conditions, including registration.

Wrona is also ordered not to have contact with his biological daughter for the rest of his natural life. The sentence is the result of a plea bargain.

Wrona, 60, was initially arrested in June 2022 and charged with first-degree felony rape for sexually assaulting his adult biological daughter in the spring. On Nov. 20, he pleaded guilty to one count of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony punishable by one to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, as well as one count of incest, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.

The Summit County Attorney’s Office stated that the victim’s advocates, her attorney and the prosecution team agreed the plea bargain and sentence were appropriate. Presenting the case to a jury would have posed material trial risks and an uncertain outcome.

“The alternative was to present the case to a jury,” said County Attorney Margaret Olson.

County Attorney Margaret Olson emphasized the decision against a jury trial, citing the emotional and mental well-being of the survivor. Subjecting her to days of painful testimony and public exposure of crime details was considered detrimental. The office prioritized her emotional and mental well-being over public demands for maximum penalties and refused to make the survivor bear the burden of ensuring Wrona’s punishment for his crimes.

Park City attorney pleads guilty to forcible sexual abuse, incest