Legally Speaking

The Costs and Benefits of Amicus Briefs

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.

ICAC and AI-Generated CSAM

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.

Crimes Against Statewide Economy

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.

Utah Consumer Privacy Act: A New Law to Protect Online Privacy

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/ 

The Menzies Case: Revisited

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.

Child and Family Support

The Division of Child and Family Support represents the State Office of Recovery Services in doing the legal work necessary to ‘promote responsibility’. We help ensure that parents are financially responsible for their children by providing child support services and support for children in care.
This work includes child support, enforcing child support orders, and recovering benefits. We also work to help ensure public funds are used appropriately through the efforts of our Bureau of Medical Collections.
In this edition of Legally Speaking, listen to Section Director Will Miller and Assistant Attorney General Ben Stoneman as they address important questions about what the office does and its significance for Utah families.

Utah Attorney General Reyes Honors Carol Verdoia, Child Protection Division Director

Carol Verdoia has served as a valuable leader at the Utah Attorney General's Office's Child Protection Division for 33 years. In conjunction with the state Division of Child and Family Services, our attorneys and staff ensure the immediate protection of Utah children. It is our goal to eradicate abuse and neglect from the home.
During this edition of Legally Speaking, Carol discusses her work at the office, how the rigors of child protection have changed, and how the state is adapting.

Driver's License Revocation Process

In our society, having a driver's license is an essential part of living. Now imagine losing that privilege.
Thousands of Utahns experience that every year when their license is taken away. This can happen in a variety of ways. In the case of revoking or suspending a license, however, it is a completely different story.
The Attorney General's Office represents the Driver's License Division's legal needs concerning this drastic step. Usually, these actions target people who violate the law so badly that they are in a bind.
Rebecca Waldron, one of our Assistant Attorney Generals, is here to provide information on how these cases are handled by the state and how the process works.