Compendium of Budget Information for the 2011 General Session

Executive Offices & Criminal Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee
Subcommittee Table of Contents

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:

  1. Attorney General
  2. Contract Attorneys
  3. Children's Justice Centers
  4. Prosecution Council
  5. 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
2007
Actual
2008
Actual
2009
Actual
2010
Actual
2011
Approp
General Fund $23,212,100 $27,865,550 $27,410,050 $25,582,850 $27,922,350
General Fund, One-time $2,478,000 $1,502,200 $82,800 $2,270,300 $1,000,000
Federal Funds $1,766,500 $1,698,500 $1,513,100 $1,641,900 $1,464,500
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act $0 $0 $0 $397,400 $437,500
Dedicated Credits Revenue $16,548,000 $17,826,100 $18,849,800 $19,137,000 $17,814,600
GFR - Domestic Violence $78,300 $78,300 $78,300 $78,300 $78,300
GFR - Public Safety Support $546,000 $569,000 $588,600 $586,900 $586,600
GFR - Tobacco Settlement $275,200 $275,200 $275,200 $274,300 $276,100
Attorney General Litigation Fund $279,800 $321,700 $335,400 $332,900 $336,500
Transfers - Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice $169,600 $162,700 $214,000 $858,400 $962,600
Transfers - Fed Pass-thru $0 $116,000 $43,500 $96,800 $97,400
Transfers - Federal $0 $395,000 $322,300 $314,600 $337,500
Transfers - Other Agencies $369,100 $94,400 $59,900 $59,300 $63,400
Beginning Nonlapsing $521,000 $2,381,300 $3,413,300 $1,375,600 $177,000
Closing Nonlapsing ($2,381,300) ($3,713,400) ($1,375,600) ($3,411,600) $0
Total
$43,862,300
$49,572,550
$51,810,650
$49,594,950
$51,554,350
 
Line Items
2007
Actual
2008
Actual
2009
Actual
2010
Actual
2011
Approp
Attorney General $39,822,500 $44,599,350 $46,867,150 $45,092,450 $46,027,750
Contract Attorneys $717,900 $1,284,700 $773,400 $612,200 $1,300,000
Children's Justice Centers $2,591,400 $2,838,500 $3,271,600 $3,013,700 $3,336,500
Prosecution Council $651,000 $771,700 $820,200 $798,300 $811,800
Domestic Violence $79,500 $78,300 $78,300 $78,300 $78,300
Total
$43,862,300
$49,572,550
$51,810,650
$49,594,950
$51,554,350
 
Categories of Expenditure
2007
Actual
2008
Actual
2009
Actual
2010
Actual
2011
Approp
Personnel Services $36,245,200 $40,495,550 $43,191,550 $41,444,200 $42,317,350
In-state Travel $175,000 $211,300 $145,900 $119,700 $155,900
Out-of-state Travel $148,000 $144,900 $131,100 $103,000 $131,100
Current Expense $3,610,200 $4,782,200 $4,116,900 $4,039,100 $3,222,900
DP Current Expense $462,500 $1,007,500 $582,600 $641,800 $554,700
DP Capital Outlay $10,400 $70,000 $107,200 $7,500 $484,000
Capital Outlay $0 $20,600 $0 $273,800 $0
Other Charges/Pass Thru $3,118,300 $2,840,500 $3,535,400 $2,927,650 $4,688,400
Transfers $92,700 $0 $0 $38,200 $0
Total
$43,862,300
$49,572,550
$51,810,650
$49,594,950
$51,554,350
 
Other Indicators
2007
Actual
2008
Actual
2009
Actual
2010
Actual
2011
Approp
Budgeted FTE 420.0 419.3 425.5 431.6 406.6
Vehicles 43 43 47 50 47






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