Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What evidence and witnesses were presented against Kody Brown during the trial?
Executive summary
Reporting in the provided sources does not describe a criminal “trial” where witnesses and evidence were presented against Kody Brown; instead, available reporting documents civil filings, investigations, mediations, and prior litigation tied to the Brown family (notably Brown v. Buhman) and recent custody/paternity disputes between Kody and ex Christine Woolley [1] [2]. The most specific legal record in these materials is the 2011–2016 Brown v. Buhman litigation and separate recent custody/paternity filings and disclosures that led to a mediation scheduled for May 21, 2025 [1] [2].
1. No contemporaneous criminal trial evidence described — reporting shows investigations and civil suits, not a trial
None of the supplied items describe a criminal trial in which witnesses testified “against” Kody Brown and evidence was admitted against him. The 2010 police inquiry into the Browns was an investigation and the later federal case Brown v. Buhman was a civil constitutional challenge to Utah’s polygamy statute; reporting notes investigators had video of a ceremony that could be “potential evidence,” but it does not lay out witness testimony or a criminal trial record against Kody [1]. Recent items focus on custody/paternity litigation and disputes over assets — civil matters — rather than a criminal proceeding [2] [3].
2. What Brown v. Buhman shows about evidence discussed publicly
Brown v. Buhman (filed 2011, decided at appellate level in 2016) is the clearest documented legal matter in these sources. Reporting states that when the Browns became television subjects, Utah police opened an investigation for possible bigamy and that “video footage of a marriage ceremony between Kody Brown and Robyn Sullivan” was identified as potential evidence [1]. The Tenth Circuit ultimately addressed standing and prosecutorial policy rather than resolving guilt, concluding prosecutors’ enforcement policy meant the Browns lacked a credible fear of prosecution [1]. The court record here therefore documents investigative evidence being noted publicly, but not a criminal trial with witness testimony against Kody in the sources provided [1].
3. Recent civil custody/paternity case: disclosures, mediation and assertions, not trial testimony
Reporting from late 2024 through 2025 in the provided sources documents Christine Woolley (Christine Brown) suing Kody for paternity, custody and child support and the parties completing disclosures and being ordered into mediation on May 21, 2025 [2] [4]. Coverage characterizes it as a “significant custody dispute” and notes both sides completed disclosures in court documents [2]. These disclosures suggest evidence was exchanged between parties, but the sources do not list specific witnesses, deposition testimony, or trial exhibits; they describe procedural steps [2]. Summaries and gossip outlets cite allegations — e.g., claims about Kody’s financial support or Truely’s birth certificate status — but those are reportage or interpretation of filings, not a transcript of trial witness evidence in the sources provided [4] [3].
4. Media claims and rumor vs. what court records show
Tabloid and entertainment outlets included allegations and interpretive claims: some pieces say Kody bought a $2.1 million house while litigating child support, or that Truely’s birth certificate lacked Kody’s name — claims presented as context for the custody dispute [4]. Other entertainment reporting repeats that video of a ceremony existed during the earlier polygamy probe [1]. However, supplied fact-checking-style coverage notes Kody was not arrested despite viral claims [5]. These differences highlight that sensational coverage is present in the pool of sources but that court-oriented sources refer to investigations and filings rather than documented trial witness lists or exhibit logs [1] [5].
5. What the available sources do not mention
Available sources do not mention any criminal trial where witnesses took the stand against Kody Brown, nor do they provide a list of witnesses, deposition transcripts, or a catalog of admitted evidence from a trial against him. They do not report sworn courtroom testimony identifying specific witnesses who incriminated Kody in a criminal case; the materials instead describe investigations, a federal constitutional suit, and civil custody/paternity litigation with disclosures and mediation [1] [2]. If you are asking about a particular recent trial, that event is not found in the current reporting.
6. How to follow up for verifiable trial materials
To find concrete lists of witnesses and admitted evidence you will need primary court records or credible court reporting: [6] the specific case number and court (criminal docket or civil docket) so you can read filings, motions in limine, witness lists, or trial transcripts; [7] official clerk’s office dockets or PACER for federal matters, or local county court online records for state trials; [8] contemporary reporting from legal reporters or mainstream outlets that cite or quote court transcripts. The documents cited here — Brown v. Buhman and Christine’s custody/paternity filings — are the best lead in these sources but do not provide the trial witness/evidence roster you asked about [1] [2].