Joe Wrona, the long-time Park City attorney who was charged last summer with raping his biological daughter, is scheduled to appear in court next month. A jury trial is set for the end of the year.

The 60-year-old entered a not-guilty plea in February. The charge stems from an incident on March 20, 2022. If convicted, Wrona could face five years to life in prison.

The Park Record does not reveal personal information about victims of sexual assault charges without their permission. 

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Wrona’s trial was first set for August. However, it was pushed back to December after he hired attorney Nathan Evershed in May for additional criminal defense. Greg Skordas is also representing Wrona. Skordas did not return a request for comment by the time of publication.

Now, a final pre-trial conference is set for Nov. 20 with jury selection slated to take place on Nov. 29 and 30.

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Skordas last June said his client was surprised to see the charges had been filed, although he had been aware of the sexual assault allegations several months prior.

Wrona had not met his daughter until August of 2021, according to court documents. They began trying to establish a relationship, which included going on vacations together. He purchased his daughter a Park City condo in November and encouraged her to live there. 

Summit County prosecutors allege Wrona became “possessive and controlling” and degraded his daughter, who said she felt like she could not make friends or do things with other people. Court documents state he would visit his daughter almost every day, enter her condo and prohibit her from having visitors.

Wrona allegedly screamed at his daughter and made her beg on her knees for forgiveness because she had a male friend at the condo in February of 2022, according to court documents. 

The alleged rape occurred the following month.

Summit County prosecutors accuse Wrona of entering his daughter’s Park City condominium around 8 a.m. on March 20, 2022. Charging documents state Wrona was upset with the woman for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day weekend with friends. She accused Wrona of insulting and berating her with disparaging remarks.

Court documents said Wrona left the condo around 10 a.m. and returned about 20 minutes later. He told his daughter he wanted to talk to her. However, he was still upset. 

Wrona allegedly said he was going to give the woman another chance, but he wanted to “humiliate her and make her feel the way she had made him feel.” Prosecutors said Wrona then again raped his daughter. 

Afterward, Wrona allegedly threw his daughter’s phone at her and told her to send a text message to her friends telling them not to contact her again. One of the recipients then contacted the Park City Police Department to request a welfare check, which was performed the same day.

Court documents said the state believes Wrona’s behavior shows “he was forcing her to have sex with him as a way of punishing … her” and gives context to the months and days leading up to the alleged assault.

“Possessive, controlling, and degrading behavior pales in comparison to raping your biological daughter in retaliation for perceived damage to your reputation,” prosecutors said in a motion to admit evidence filed in September.

A registered nurse with Wasatch Forensic Nurses is expected to testify about the contents of the sexual assault examination report involved in the case.

Wrona is not being held in the Summit County Jail. He retired from practicing law in 2022. His daughter has moved out of state.

“The trial will go forward as planned,” Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said in an interview on Friday.