Agency: Attorney General Function The Attorney General is the constitutional legal officer of the state, serves as counsel in all cases in which the state or its officers are a party, and provides legal services for the state. The Attorney General's mission is to uphold the constitutions of the United States and of Utah, enforce the law, provide counsel to state agencies and public officials, work with law enforcement, and protect the interests of Utah, its people, environment and resources. The office's goals are to protect people from crime, protect children from abuse and neglect, protect the state as an entity, and protect the state's natural resources.
The Office of the Attorney General has five line items. They are: - Attorney General
- Contract Attorneys
- Children's Justice Centers
- Prosecution Council
- Domestic Violence
Statutory Authority The Attorney General is governed by several statutes and the Utah Constitution. The Attorney General is cited throughout the Utah Code to provide legal assistance and to represent all state agencies. The following laws principally establish the Attorney General's responsibilities and powers: Utah Constitution, Article VII Section 16 states that "the Attorney General shall be the legal advisor of the State officers, except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, and shall perform such other duties as provided by law." UCA 67 Chapter 5 states the official duties and powers of the Attorney General. Significant duties and powers include: - prosecute or defend all causes to which the state, or any officer, board, or commission in an official capacity is a party
- take charge, as an attorney, of all civil legal matters in which the state is interested
- maintain files for a successor
- supervise district and county attorneys
- give legal opinions in writing and without fee to the Legislature, any state officer, any county or district attorney, upon any question of law relating to their office
- assist any county, district, or city attorney in his/her duties
- prosecute Medicaid fraud
- undertake special duties such as child protection services, Internet Crimes Against Children services, identity theft reporting, and others
- assign legal assistants to perform legal services for any agency of state government
Funding Detail Slightly more than half of the Attorney General's budget comes from the General Fund. The other significant funding source is Dedicated Credits from billings to state agencies who receive the A.G.'s legal services. | Sources of Finance | 2008
Actual | 2009
Actual | 2010
Actual | 2011
Actual | 2012
Approp | | General Fund | $27,865,550 | $27,410,050 | $25,582,850 | $27,922,350 | $27,343,650 | | General Fund, One-time | $1,502,200 | $82,800 | $2,270,300 | $1,000,000 | $5,550,000 | | Federal Funds | $1,698,500 | $1,513,100 | $1,641,900 | $2,326,400 | $1,511,900 | | American Recovery and Reinvestment Act | $0 | $0 | $397,400 | $0 | $560,800 | | Dedicated Credits Revenue | $17,826,100 | $18,849,800 | $19,137,000 | $18,876,200 | $18,014,000 | | GFR - Constitutional Defense | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $350,000 | | GFR - Domestic Violence | $78,300 | $78,300 | $78,300 | $78,300 | $78,300 | | GFR - Public Safety Support | $569,000 | $588,600 | $586,900 | $586,600 | $585,900 | | GFR - Tobacco Settlement | $275,200 | $275,200 | $274,300 | $276,100 | $276,300 | | Attorney General Litigation Fund | $321,700 | $335,400 | $332,900 | $336,500 | $336,900 | | Transfers - Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice | $162,700 | $214,000 | $858,400 | $863,100 | $815,500 | | Transfers - Fed Pass-thru | $116,000 | $43,500 | $96,800 | $36,700 | $0 | | Transfers - Federal | $395,000 | $322,300 | $314,600 | $367,100 | $320,900 | | Transfers - Other Agencies | $94,400 | $59,900 | $59,300 | $60,000 | $59,900 | | Beginning Nonlapsing | $2,381,300 | $3,413,300 | $1,375,600 | $3,409,500 | $1,582,900 | | Closing Nonlapsing | ($3,713,400) | ($1,375,600) | ($3,409,500) | ($4,498,300) | ($513,700) | | Lapsing Balance | $0 | $0 | ($2,100) | ($6,300) | $0 | | Total | $49,572,550 | $51,810,650 | $49,594,950 | $51,634,250 | $56,873,250 |
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| | Line Items | 2008
Actual | 2009
Actual | 2010
Actual | 2011
Actual | 2012
Approp | | Attorney General | $44,599,350 | $46,867,150 | $45,092,450 | $45,726,550 | $47,121,050 | | Contract Attorneys | $1,284,700 | $773,400 | $612,200 | $1,592,300 | $5,300,000 | | Children's Justice Centers | $2,838,500 | $3,271,600 | $3,013,700 | $3,434,500 | $3,499,400 | | Prosecution Council | $771,700 | $820,200 | $798,300 | $802,600 | $874,500 | | Domestic Violence | $78,300 | $78,300 | $78,300 | $78,300 | $78,300 | | Total | $49,572,550 | $51,810,650 | $49,594,950 | $51,634,250 | $56,873,250 |
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| | Categories of Expenditure | 2008
Actual | 2009
Actual | 2010
Actual | 2011
Actual | 2012
Approp | | Personnel Services | $40,495,550 | $43,191,550 | $41,444,200 | $41,838,600 | $42,590,550 | | In-state Travel | $211,300 | $145,900 | $119,700 | $138,700 | $233,500 | | Out-of-state Travel | $144,900 | $131,100 | $103,000 | $120,400 | $92,100 | | Current Expense | $4,782,200 | $4,116,900 | $4,039,100 | $5,259,550 | $4,101,000 | | DP Current Expense | $1,007,500 | $582,600 | $641,800 | $881,000 | $844,900 | | DP Capital Outlay | $70,000 | $107,200 | $7,500 | $0 | $7,500 | | Capital Outlay | $20,600 | $0 | $273,800 | $49,300 | $200,600 | | Other Charges/Pass Thru | $2,840,500 | $3,535,400 | $2,927,650 | $3,346,700 | $8,803,100 | | Transfers | $0 | $0 | $38,200 | $0 | $0 | | Total | $49,572,550 | $51,810,650 | $49,594,950 | $51,634,250 | $56,873,250 |
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| | Other Indicators | 2008
Actual | 2009
Actual | 2010
Actual | 2011
Actual | 2012
Approp | | Budgeted FTE | 419.3 | 425.5 | 431.6 | 406.5 | 412.5 | | Actual FTE | 406.6 | 417.2 | 404.2 | 405.4 | 0.0 | | Vehicles | 43 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
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Subcommittee Table of Contents |