Johnny Cash song fails to sway jury

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PROVO, Utah, April 1 (UPI) -- A Utah jury was not persuaded by a prosecutor's attempt to use a Johnny Cash song to make his case, and acquitted a man of aggravated assault.

Fidel Quintana, 43, of Orem, was cleared Tuesday by a Provo jury in an October incident involving a drunken fight with two other men, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday.

Prosecutors said Quintana used a knife to stab a man under the chin, cutting his mouth and tongue. The defendant's attorneys said he took the action in self-defense.

Prosecutor Randy Kennard said he used Cash's ballad "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" in his closing argument because he felt made a point about the case -- the song and the case both involve people under the influence of alcohol taking actions they might have avoided while sober.

"Some people who heard (the song) thought it fit well, but at the same time, the jury found we didn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt," Kennard said.