Utah State Law Library

Dozens of new Utah laws go into effect on July 1st, the first day of the State's new fiscal year. Here is a sample of a few of those laws:

• H.B. 84: Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services, which creates this new office within the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.
  
• H.B. 206: Special Group License Plate Amendments, specifying changes in requirements for issuing special plates.
  
• H.B. 303: Prepaid 911 Wireless Service Charge, which provides for the collection of a prepaid wireless 911 service charge from a prepaid wireless customer at the point of retail sale.
  
• S.B. 47: Driver License and Identification Card Amendments, which modifies provisions of the Uniform Driver License Act relating to the qualifications for and requirements to obtain a driver license.
  
• S.B. 256 Teacher Effectiveness Evaluation Process, which modifies provisions related to teacher career ladders and educator evaluations.
  

Want to see what other laws are effective July 1st? Go to the Utah State Legislature's passed bills page, select 2011 General Session from the drop down box, and click on the Effective Date heading to sort the list by that criteria.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Utah State Courts' website has a new Motion to Renew Judgment page.

If you have a judgment against a debtor that has not been satisfied, you have the option to renew a judgment by motion, but it must be done within the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for renewing a judgment is 8 years from the date of the judgment. Utah Code 78B-2-311. If the debtor acknowledges the judgment in writing or promises to pay the judgment in writing or makes a payment on the judgment, the statute of limitations is 8 years from the date of the last of those to occur. Utah Code 78B-2-113.

Read more about judgment statute of limitations, renewing a judgment in district and justice courts, find forms and more on the new Motion to Renew Judgment page.

Posted by Mari Cheney at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently announced that by September, 2012, cigarette packages will have to carry new warning labels about the health risks of smoking. The new labels feature graphic images of the negative health effects of smoking, and will be placed prominently on packaging and in cigarette advertisements. This FDA regulation was a required provision in §201 of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009.

For a summary of information about legislative acts related to smoking and tobacco, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control's website on Smoking and Tobacco Legislation.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 09:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of June 27, 2011 is stays.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 07:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The library has received 82 Utah Supreme Court briefs. The docket numbers range from 20070256--20091087 (list not inclusive).

If you're looking for a specific brief, contact the library by phone (801-238-7990) or email to make sure we have it. If you can't come in to make copies yourself, we offer a document delivery service for 25¢ per page and will scan the briefs and email them to you.

Posted by Courtney Brueckner at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier this month, Governor Herbert authorized emergency funds to aid the flood relief effort in Weber County. Under Utah law, the governor has the authority to declare a state of emergency, which can last up to 30 days or longer with a resolution by the legislature. Declarations of state emergencies are printed in the Utah State Bulletin.

Track flood levels and incident reports by visiting Utah's Homeland Security and Emergency Management site. You'll find links to local and statewide emergency declarations, weather alerts and news releases from the governor's office and other agencies.

BeReadyUtah.gov provides information about preparing for a flood emergency and links to flood warnings and forecasts.

Your local cities and counties may need volunteers to fill and place sandbags. Contact your local emergency management office or volunteer coordinator. Salt Lake County residents click here for contact information.

Posted by Mari Cheney at 09:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Utah State Courts' website has a new Satisfaction of Judgments web page.

A satisfaction of judgment means that a debtor has paid the entire amount of the judgment and all accumulated fees, costs and interest, or that the creditor has decided not to pursue further collection efforts.

There are forms available for the creditor to acknowledge satisfaction of judgment and for the debtor to ask the court to declare a judgment has been satisfied. Each section of forms comes with a checklist, which may answer some of your questions about these forms.

Need help filling out a court form? Talk to an attorney or visit a free legal clinic near you.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you have an upcoming court hearing or need to visit your local court soon, you might get a chance to see something new at the court's exit: survey representatives.

This summer, the Utah State Courts are conducting their annual Access and Fairness Survey, measuring how well the courts are serving the public. Attorneys, people representing themselves, law enforcement, and any other visitors will be encouraged to take the survey as they leave court.

Survey representatives are traveling around the state to all district court locations. The survey is anonymous and takes only about five minutes to complete.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

During the 2011 General Session of the Utah State Legislature, the legislature passed H.B.22, Fire Prevention and Fireworks Act Amendments. This bill expanded the category of permitted fireworks to be used over the Fourth of July, Pioneer Day and Chinese New Year holidays. It has also changed the dates on which fireworks can be used, expanding the time line to span an entire month from June 26 to July 26; on December 31 and January 1; and the day before and on Chinese New Year.

To view a list of approved fireworks, check out the 2011 Utah Fireworks Information provided by the State Fire Marshal.

While state law now permits the sale and use of new types of fireworks, some Utah cities have already banned their use in some locations because of fire danger. Check your city ordinances before taking advantage of the newly relaxed fireworks law.

Posted by Mari Cheney at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of June 20, 2011 is rotor.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 07:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The library has received 27 Court of Appeals briefs. The docket numbers range from 20060972--20100407 (list not inclusive).

If you're looking for a specific brief, contact the library by phone (801-238-7990) or email to make sure we have it. If you can't come in to make copies yourself, we offer a document delivery service for 25¢ per page and will scan the briefs and email them to you.

Posted by Courtney Brueckner at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you know that it is unlawful to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in many Utah cities including Downtown Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Moab and American Fork?

June 13 kicks off Governor Gary Herbert's 2011 Utah Clean the Air Challenge, "a month long competition ... that gives you the chance to reduce your vehicle emissions by choosing alternatives to driving alone".

With the approach of summer, what better time to accept the challenge and enjoy taking your bike to the streets on your way to work? To ensure your commute is safe and lawful, look to the handy pocket guide to Salt Lake Bicycle ordinance or the Safe Route website for current bicycle law topics and local bicycle ordinance throughout the state.

Pick up a printed copy of the pocket guide and learn more about bicycle safety, repair, and advocacy at the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective, or view the full Utah Code for bicycles, Utah Code sec. 41-6a-1102 through 1115.

Posted by Courtney Brueckner at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Salt Lake City Justice Court dockets are now available on CORIS and XChange. Both programs provide summary information about cases. This includes information such as names of parties, party addresses (if available), assigned judges, attorneys of record, documents filed, hearings held, judgments entered, and the outcome of completed cases.

Since 2002, Salt Lake City Justice Court has had jurisdiction over all Class B and C misdemeanors, violation of ordinances, and infractions committed within Salt Lake City’s corporate limits. The court also has jurisdiction over small claims cases in which the defendant resides or the debt arises within the geographic boundaries of Salt Lake City.

The majority of cases from 2002 to the present were converted to the CORIS system. However, if the case was purged in the old system, only basic information is available. Parking citation cases were not converted so you will only be able to search for a parking citation if it was entered after the date of conversion.

CORIS is available to the public at the law library. Questions? Contact us.

Posted by Mari Cheney at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of June 13, 2011 is quick.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As summer approaches, you may be planning a camping trip. If you are, be sure to pay attention to the camping rules that may be posted in or near campsites.

These rules are administered by the Utah Department of Natural Resources' State Parks & Recreation Division, and include rules governing the maximum number of persons and cars allowable at campsites and designating quiet hours at campsites.

If you're looking for a campsite, Utah's travel website provides a campgrounds database which you can search by destination, ski resort, or city. You can also make camping reservations at Utah state parks online.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of June 6, 2011 is pools.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)