By Tracie Sullivan, Iron County Today
A 5th District Court judge has dismissed multiple felony charges against a Cedar City motorcyclist accused of shooting a man during a road rage confrontation, ruling the shooting was an act of self-defense.
In a 14-page decision issued Monday, Judge Meb Anderson dismissed one count of felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault against 47-year-old Jason Bryan Stolworthy.
Those two most serious charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled. Two counts of reckless endangerment were dismissed without prejudice, leaving the option for prosecutors to pursue them again.
Stolworthy still faces charges of obstruction of justice and reckless driving. His bail was reduced from $200,000 to $10,000.
The ruling stems from a June 12, 2024, altercation near Main Street and Fiddlers Canyon Road, where Stolworthy shot the driver of a white Mercedes. The driver, identified as Robert Mabbitt, survived and later recovered from his injuries.
Anderson ruled that Mabbitt was the primary aggressor and found Stolworthy reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to stop another attack. He cited both gas station surveillance video and a bystander’s cellphone recording as key evidence.
The footage shows Mabbitt striking Stolworthy through his helmet visor, which knocked him off his motorcycle. After the fall, Mabbitt continued moving toward Stolworthy in an aggressive manner.
“The Court finds that subjective and objective imminence existed, and Stolworthy reasonably believed force was necessary,” Anderson wrote. He noted that Mabbitt closed distance on Stolworthy and shouted threats just before the shooting.
Although Anderson called Stolworthy’s decision to chase Mabbitt’s car during the lead-up to the incident “irresponsible and inadvisable,” he ruled it did not prove intent to provoke a fight.
“Once parked, it is clear from video evidence … that Stolworthy was not the aggressor. Stolworthy remains on his bike as Mabbitt approaches,” the judge noted.
After the shooting, Stolworthy left the scene, flipped his motorcycle’s license plate to avoid detection, and went home, where he was later arrested.
Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson said his office is working with the Utah Attorney General’s Office on a possible appeal, which would be handled at the state level since the case involves felony charges.
Stolworthy’s next court date, a scheduling conference, is set for Oct. 7 via Webex.