Meet the board members who will begin the hearing to commute Taberon Honie’s sentence

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The five-member Utah Board of Pardons and Paroles will begin the hearing to commute Taberon Honie’s sentence on Monday, Aug. 22.

The hearing is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Honie is scheduled to be executed on August 8 for the 1999 murder of Claudia Benn, the mother of his ex-girlfriend.

Board members are appointed by the governor, and the goal is for each to bring a unique set of skills and experiences.

LEARN MORE:Utah Sentences Murder Inmate Taberon Honie to Death, Grants Him a Commutation Hearing

Here is who makes up the board of directors

Scott Stephenson, the board’s chair, was appointed by Governor Spencer Cox in October 2023. Stephenson has extensive law enforcement experience, having served as executive director of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police and director of peace officer standards and training. He also holds degrees in business and criminal justice and is currently studying to become a clinical mental health therapist.

Melissa G. Stirba, Vice Chair, was appointed by Governor Cox in March 2021. Stirba is an attorney and holds a law degree from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law. Her legal career includes clerkships with prominent judges and service with the Utah Federal Defenders Office and the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association.

Board member Blake R. Hills was appointed by Governor Gary Herbert in January 2018. Hills is a former prosecutor for twenty-one years in the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office and the Summit County District Attorney’s Office. He holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah School of Law.

Dan Bokovoy is another board member with more than 20 years of public service. He graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and holds a master’s degree in philosophy and a juris doctorate from the University of Utah. He has worked with nonprofit organizations that provide services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and served as a prosecutor for eight years. He then worked with the Attorney General’s Office as legal counsel for the Utah Department of Corrections. Governor Cox appointed Bokovoy in June 2024.

Greg Johnson, appointed by Governor Herbert in February 2019, is a former probation officer and worked in the Utah state court system for 19 years. Johnson began working for the Pardon and Parole Board in 2013 and served as director of administrative services before being appointed to the Board.

For more information about the board members, visit the Utah Board of Pardons and Paroles website.

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