Utah State Law Library

In celebration of Halloween, this year we're featuring recent appellate cases dealing with all things spooky and scary:

• A Utah prisoner named Robert Rice filed for extroardinary relief, claiming the prison acted in violation of his right to practice his religion by failing to provide a "vampire" diet. Rice v. Department of Corrections, 2002 UT App 352.
  
• In Illinois, an officer was sued for violating first and fourth amendment rights when responding to a complaint from neighbors disputing over Halloween yard decorations etched with insults. Purtell v. Mason, 527 F.3d 615.
• In Louisiana, a customer who visited a haunted corn maze sued the owner and owner's insurer after she fell and broke her leg when she was approached by an actor with a chainsaw. Durmon v. Billings, 873 So.2d 872.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of October 29, 2012 is deals.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Utah State Courts website has a new self help resource page on Guardianship of an Adult. This page provides a detailed summary of guardianship, a guardian's authority, and the procedures for appointing a guardian. The forms section includes forms for appointing a guardian, forms to object to the petition, and forms to appoint a temporary guardian.

To learn more about the adult guardianship process, see the Utah State Courts' YouTube video on Guardianship of an Adult.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The 2012 Juvenile Court Report Card to the Community is now available on the Utah State Courts Juvenile Courts website. The report card's purpose is to inform all Utah citizens of how the juvenile court's are performing in several areas, including drug testing, delinquency referrals, and law-abiding behavior.

The Juvenile Court Report Card also provides statistics about juvenile court cases filed in 2011, including how timely cases were resolved and what percentage of delinquency cases involved male or female offenders.

The Report Card is available in both English and Spanish.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Election day is two weeks away - do you have all the information you need to vote? The vote.utah.gov website provides a variety of resources to help you prepare to cast your ballot on November 6th.

• Use the On My Ballot link to verify you're regsitered to vote, learn about candidates and propositions, and to generate a customized Voter Information Pamphlet.
  
• Sign up for a reminder email or text message and find your polling place
  
• Early voting begins in today. Find out where you can cast your ballot before election day.

The Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled provides the Voter Information Pamphlet in alternate formats, including .mp3 and braille.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of October 22, 2012 is cobra.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 06:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Utah State Senate voted on October 17 to confirm Barry Lawrence as a judge in the Third District Court. He was confirmed during the 8th Extraordinary Session of the legislature. The audio transcript of this session is available.

To learn more about the judicial selection process, visit the Utah State Courts' website on Judge Selection and Evaluation.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of October 15, 2012 is tasto.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is a new interactive feature with several of the self-help videos on the Utah State Courts' YouTube Channel. On the Landlord-Tenant Basics and the Guardianship of an Adult Basics videos, you can now view a written transcript of the video. Just select the Interactive Transcript button located below the video screen to open the transcript. The written transcript is time-stamped so you know exactly where you are in the presentation.

More video transcripts will be added as they become available.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of October 8, 2012 is zonks.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Utah State Legislature's website has been redesigned. The site has several new design features, including:

• a search box at the top which lets you search bills, statutes, or a keyword search of the site,
• audio and video recordings and the calendar featured prominently on the home page,
• committee meeting information pages that are organized by tabs and tables, and
• a Who Represents Me? box where you can search for your local representative by your address. This box displays at the bottom of every page on the site.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The United States Senate recently appointed Robert Shelby as a new judge to the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. Federal judges are nominated by the U.S. President and are confirmed by the U.S. Senate, pursuant to Article II of the U.S. Constitution.

To learn more about federal judges, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page on Federal Judges available from the U.S. Courts. More information on the judicial nomination process can be found on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary website.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The wireless password for the week of October 1, 2012 is yacks.

More information about wireless access in Utah's courthouses.

Posted by Jessica Van Buren at 07:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)