A Utah senator plans to introduce a bill this week that could disband the Colorado City/Hildale Marshals Office. Read my story here
A.G. Mark Shurtleff told me the proposal, which hasn't hit the legislature yet, would suggest investigating the six members of the Marshal's office to see it they're fit for duty. If half of the officers fail, the department could go away, to be replaced by the county.
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By the way, back in 2004 a Hildale decertification investigation started by the A.G.'s Office ended with two officers decertified for practicing polygamy (see below.)
A bill in play in the Arizona legislature is a bit different. If it passes, it would automatically disband the department based on decertifications that have already happened over the last eight years.
A total of six officers, in fact, have been decertified in Utah (meaning they can't work in law enforcement at all) over the last eight years, though the most recent was in 2007.
Here they are, with background stories:
- 2003: Rodney Holm for marrying a 16-year-old girl, Ruth Stubbs. Summary in this story about his (unsuccessful) appeal of his bigamy and sex offense convictions.
- 2005: Sam Roundy for practicing bigamy, though this story says he also failed to report child sexual abuse investigations to Utah child welfare authorities, saying he didn't know it was necessary.
- 2005: Vance Barlow for practicing bigamy. Story here
- 2006: Mica Barlow quit, then was de-certified for refusing to answer questions about Warren Jeffs' whereabouts while Jeffs was on the run from civil lawsuits and accomplice to rape charges for presiding over an underage marriage. Story here
- 2007: Chief Fred Barlow for writing a letter to Jeffs asking for guidance on two girls who had run away while Jeffs was on the lam. Story here and read the whole letter here
- 2007: Preston Barlow, also for writing to Warren Jeffs. Story here
