Utah's New Attorney General Outlines His Policies On Polygamy Prosecutions

According to yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's newly-elected attorney general, John Swallow says he will continue the policy of his predecessor Mark Shurtleff and will not bring criminal charges against consenting adults in plural marriages if they have not violated any law other than the state's polygamy ban. It is estimated that 38,000 people live in polygamous communities in Utah. Swallow said that he however will "do everything we can to uncover any type of abusive practice going on in any community." He will continue to defend the constitutionality of Utah's bigamy statute in an ongoing challenge to it by members of an openly polygamous family (subjects of the television show Sister Wives).  (See prior posting.) Swallow will also seek an end to the drawn out litigation seeking to reform the United Effort Plan Trust that holds the property of the polygamous FLDS Church. (See prior related posting.)