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Polygamy czar is an informal title given to the "Investigator of Crimes within Closed Societies" for the Utah Attorney General's Office. The position was established by the Utah State Legislature in 2000.[1] The office is responsible for investigating crimes associated with Fundamentalist Mormon communities that practice plural marriage, including tax evasion, welfare fraud, child abuse, sex abuse and domestic violence. Ron Barton, Utah's first polygamy czar, contributed to the prosecutions of polygamists Rodney Holm and Tom Green on child rape and bigamy charges.[2]
In Utah, prosecutions for polygamy per se depend on the circumstances of each case, ranging from an infraction with a relatively small fine,[3][4][5] up up to a felony.[6][5]
In fiction edit
A fictionalized polygamy czar was introduced in the HBO series Big Love in the episode "Affair."
Officeholders edit
- Ron Barton (2000–2004)
- Jim Hill (2004–2006)
Notes edit
- ^ O'Driscoll, Patrick (June 19, 2001). "Polygamist goes on trial in Utah". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2014-10-22.
- ^ "Ron Barton Goes From Polygamy Czar to Tree Czar". 2004.
- ^ "Utah State Legislature 76-7-101". Effective 5/4/2022
- ^ "Polygamy essentially decriminalized in Utah". Fox News. 13 May 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Hauser, Christine (2020-05-13). "Utah Lowers Penalty for Polygamy, No Longer a Felony". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Utah Code Section 76-7-101". State of Utah. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
References edit
- Winslow, Ben (November 2, 2006). "'Polygamy czar' quits to take crime lab helm". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 2014-10-22.
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