Episodes
14 hours ago
14 hours ago
The Utah Attorney General’s Office has an office dedicated to protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program. Working with federal agents, we take on fraud, waste, or abuse of the system. It’s called the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit—or MFCU.
Every state has a MFCU, but Utah received the 2023 Inspector General’s Award for Excellence, which is a huge feather in the cap of everyone who works in the office and to our guest, Kaye Lynn Wooten, its director. Listen to Kaye Lynn answer questions about how the MFCU does its job on behalf of victims and taxpayers.
To report fraud and/or abuse, visit the MFCU page on the Utah Attorney General's Website.
Read more about a recent case where a man was convicted of a 2nd-degree felony and sent to prison for financial abuse of a vulnerable adult—his mother.
3 days ago
3 days ago
This Legally Speaking episode examines one of the largest dark net drug trafficking cases in Utah.
In 2019, Aaron Shamo was sentenced to life in prison under the Controlled Substance Act for running a massive Fentanyl and Xanax manufacturing and distribution scheme.
A case of this magnitude is fascinating. In this interview, Assistant Attorney General Michael Gadd, who worked with the Department of Justice, shares more details about this case.
Explore these resources to learn more:
DOJ News Release on Shamo’s Conviction
Shamo accomplices convicted
CNBC Documentary on Shamo case
7 days ago
Why State Agency Counsel Matters
7 days ago
7 days ago
Is the AG’s Office Utah's law firm?
One of the Constitutional functions of the Utah Attorney General’s office is to act as counsel for every state agency. In essence, the office is the state’s law firm. State Agency Counsel is one of the divisions comprising hundreds of attorneys at the AGO.
Our office has attorneys who work exclusively for various state agencies as their attorneys and specialize in specific areas. Amanda Montague oversees this little-known office function every day.
This episode of Legally Speaking explains just how important the work performed by these attorneys is.
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
The Costs and Benefits of Amicus Briefs
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
In any given month, the Utah Attorney General's Office can join dozens of amici, also known as ‘friend of the court’ briefs, or sign the AG’s name to a persuasive letter that argues for or against a hot topic.
Why does the office do this? The answer makes a lot of sense - Legally Speaking!
In this episode, Deputy Solicitor General Christopher Bates explains why our office joins these letters and briefs, the costs and benefits, and how the entire process works.
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
ICAC and AI-Generated CSAM
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has observed a new form of evidence: Computer generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is commonly used to generate illegal images of children in sexual situations, similar to animated CSAM images.
Listen as Sete Aulai, our ICAC Commander, speaks out about this evolving trend. This is occurring at a time when ICAC continues to receive tips, cases, and explicit images, as well as attempts by some suspects to contact live young people.
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Crimes Against Statewide Economy
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
The Utah AG's Office became the first state to take on organized retail theft full-time. We'll explain how it’s made a huge difference.
Crimes Against the Statewide Economy are enforced by the AG's CASE Unit. CASE was launched in 2020, with retailers' support and funding. In today's society, they are grateful that the investment they made is paying off. The question is, what lies ahead?
In this episode of Legally Speaking, Detective Commander James Russell and Detective Steve Jensen share their experiences dealing with these crimes every day.
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Utah Consumer Privacy Act: A New Law to Protect Online Privacy
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
At the beginning of 2024, a new law called the Utah Consumer Privacy Act took effect. It’s something all consumers should know about.
The new law includes important protection that gives consumers the right to find out the extent a company may be using your personal information. It also includes responsibilities for businesses to ensure they’re complying with the law.
On Legally Speaking this week, to give an overview of the significance of the UCPA, are Assistant Attorney Generals Lana Taylor and Brett Nedick, and Katie Has, Director of the Consumer Protection Division.
This news release has details and important links about the Utah Consumer Protection Act:
January 1, 2024: Under a new state law, Utah consumers have the right to access and control their personal data. The Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA) took effect on December 31, 2023. Under the new law, the UCPA also requires businesses to protect personal data and provide consumers with information about how they can exercise their rights.
The UCPA gives consumers the right to:
· find out if a business is processing their personal data;
· access their personal data;
· request that a business delete their personal data;
· obtain a copy of their personal data; and
· opt out of having their personal data sold or used for advertising.
Consumers may exercise these rights by submitting a request to a business. The business then has 45 days to respond to the consumer’s request.
Some of the new requirements that businesses must comply with include:
· protecting the confidentiality and integrity of consumers’ personal data;
· reducing the risk of harm relating to the processing of personal data;
· providing consumers with clear and accessible privacy notices;
· informing consumers about how they can opt out of the sale or the processing of their personal data for targeted advertising; and
· notifying consumers before processing sensitive personal data.
The Utah Division of Consumer Protection’s website provides educational materials about the UCPA and a complaint form for consumers at https://dcp.utah.gov/ucpa/ . The Utah Attorney General’s Office’s website provides information about the UCPA and a link to the new law at https://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/how-can-consumers-protect-their-personal-data/
Friday Feb 09, 2024
The Menzies Case: Revisited
Friday Feb 09, 2024
Friday Feb 09, 2024
More than 35 years ago, Ralph Menzies robbed, kidnapped, and murdered Maurine Hunsaker. At the time, she was a single mother who worked at a convenience store.
For his heinous crimes, he was sentenced to death. It has taken all this time for Maurine's family to find justice in this case.
Once all appeals had been exhausted, the Attorney General's Office requested an execution warrant. But now, there are new developments in the case.
In this Legally Speaking segment, Assistant Solicitor General Erin Riley discusses the Menzies case as of 2/5/2024.
Legally Speaking
Welcome to Legally Speaking, a podcast for those who want quick and summarized information on important issues and cases the state is handling. Our format is meant to be easier to understand than a court document or technical argument. As Utah’s largest public law firm, we will address topics from a legal point of view—information you won’t get anywhere else.