Businesses considering a move to Utah consider the lack of size of the state as well as the influence of the majority religion in the state to be negative factors, according to a report sponsored by commercial real estate companies and local government agencies.

Davis officer accused of molesting teen

A Davis County sheriff's deputy is accused of molesting a teenage baby sitter over the course of four months at various locations in the county.     Matthew Allen, 31, faces two felony counts of forcible sexual abuse and one count of misdemeanor sexual battery in 2nd District Court in Farmington, prosecutors said Wednesday.     Allen, who was booked into jail briefly on Monday, remained free Wednesday on his own recognizance.     A probable-cause statement submitted with the complaint accuses Allen of molesting a 16-year-old girl from November to March. The statement says Allen touched the girl under and over her clothing.     Deputy Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said the incidents are alleged to have occurred in Clearfield, Clinton and near North Salt Lake. At least one fondling is thought to have occurred in a moving car, Rawlings said.     Rawlings said the girl was an acquaintance of the Allen family and a baby sitter to Allen's 2-year-old child. Clearfield police began investigating after a third party said something to a school police officer, Rawlings said.     Allen worked as a bailiff for the sheriff's office, which has placed Allen on unpaid leave pending an internal investigation, Sheriff Bud Cox said.     Allen could not be reached for comment.

Draper teen admits killing friend with dose of heroin, cocaine

August 22, 2005


About 90 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies broke up what they said was a rave party on public and private property in the Diamond Fork area of Spanish Fork canyon, an hour outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday (5:30 Sunday UTC).

According to the county, the Sheriff's Office had been investigating similar parties since the beginning of the season. In a press release from the Sheriff's Office in Utah County, the department states that previous allegations of sexual abuse at other raves, as well as various firearm and theft violations, were reasons for the investigation. The release continues on to state that the proper permit was not obtained before the event started. The promoters deny this allegation and insist that all permits were legally obtained before the event.


The promoter says the party took place on private property, named Child's Ranch, with express permission from the owner. The property owner has apparently had at least one previous lawsuit with police over a similar event. Utah County requires a permit, bond and county commission approval for all gatherings with more than 250 people present and which can be expected to continue for 12 hours or more. DJ time slots and Pro Audio and Lighting contracts show that the party was scheduled to go on for no more than ten hours. According to a DJ at the event, "They presold 700 tickets and they expected up to 3,000 people total." He added that by the time police arrived "the crowd was about 1,500".

The police have publicly stated that only a permit from the health department was obtained, and that a Utah mass gathering permit was needed. The promoters have stated that they had the required permit, and have given a permit number (# 2005-11). Jay Stone, who handles mass gathering permits for the Utah County Health Department’s Bureau of Environmental Health Services, has confirmed that the permit was applied for and granted for the party. Officials also claim that the party had spilled over onto public land, and that more than 60 arrests were made in total - for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, underage drinking, drug possession and distribution, resisting arrest, assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct, and one instance of a weapons offense, a pistol which was found in the home of the private property owners. Among the confiscated items and drugs found were cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, mushrooms, alcohol, and drug paraphernalia. Some of the drugs may include those confiscated from attendees by private security guards - who were also arrested.

Amateur video from the scene shows a number of SWAT police (Sheriff's press release places the figure at 90) screaming orders at the DJs to "Shut it down now!" and yelling at others to "get out now, or I'll kick your ass in jail." Armed police are also seen tackling two attendees, Alaisha Matagi and Paul Maka. It is unclear from the video footage whether these actions were provoked or not. However, those shown on the two-minute long footage that are being forced to the ground do not appear to be resisting arrest. Both Matagi and Maka are charged with failure to obey a police officer and resisting arrest - Maka is also charged with interfering with police. Sheriff Jim Tracy stated in an email that both of them were tackled and arrested after assaulting a deputy, however, neither of them are being charged with assaulting a police officer.

A first hand account from a DJ booked to play at the party stated that while police were arresting a man accused of possession, the suspect was beaten to the ground and continually "kicked in the ribs" by four armed "soldiers" dressed in camouflage. The item was not shown on the video footage. According to the account, nobody resisted the policemen, and the crowd was orderly, but tear gas was thrown at the partiers as they attempted to leave as instructed. The DJ also states that police were attempting to confiscate video equipment, but an amateur video has still surfaced on the internet (see sources below). The video appears to have been taken near the DJ stand before it was moved to show more of the action.

Several attendees felt they should have the right to attend an event where drugs may be present, so long as they don't personally use them. "While it may be true that some individuals choose to take drugs at said events like this, myself as well as many others choose to go for the music. Just like anything, you have bad apples, but you shouldn't cut down the tree," said one attendee. "Raves are not the only musical gatherings where drugs are used and distributed," said another.

Other event-goers felt that the use of force in the shutdown was excessive - numerous eyewitness accounts by concertgoers describe people being beaten, tasered, or attacked with dogs. An email from Sheriff Jim Tracy stated that dogs and tasers were present at the raid, however, he also states that the tasers were not used on anyone, and that no dogs were deployed against concertgoers.

One account from an attendee, identified as "Colby", states:

"I saw at least two people being beaten on the ground while barking, snarling dogs are held just a few feet from them. Weapons were being pointed at unarmed, peaceful civilians. A friend of mine was forced at gunpoint to put his hands on his head and turn around, because he asked if he could get his things from the tent."

Utah County sheriff's Sergeant Darren Gilbert also alleged that a 17-year-old girl was found overdosed on ecstasy, and was treated and released to her parents. According to an advertisement for the event, an attorney was present at the party. The local sheriff is scheduled to appear on Utah TV.

Video:

http://behindzioncurtain.com/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?cid=1&lid=10

http://real.ksl.com/video/slc/0/5/582.ram


References:

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/august2005/230805utahrave.htm


http://old.heraldextra.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=62703

http://www.co.utah.ut.us/News/DeptNewsDetails.asp?ID=17759&WN_System=SHERIFF

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Dance_party_broken_up_by_police_in_Utah,_USA


Testimonies of eye-witnesses:

http://www.greatdreams.com/political/UTAH-Rave.htm


ACLU information:

http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/raves/20036prs20050926.html

A well-respected law enforcement career ended for former Utah County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Davis in October 2003. It was then Davis pled guilty to four counts of first-degree attempted sodomy of a child. "He was a hard worker with a good work ethic," Utah County Sheriff James O. Tracy said. "[His work] was much appreciated." Despite Davis' good work, Tracy said that the department could not overlook his violations of the law. "Conduct and character do matter," Tracy said. Original allegations were made against Davis in 1995, but after a thorough investigation by Utah's Attorney General they were determined "unfounded." In 2003, allegations resurfaced when one of Davis' victims came forward. Tracy said an investigation began and Davis' employment status was immediately changed to "suspended with pay." As the investigation progressed and more details surfaced, Davis' status was adjusted to "suspended without pay" and he was ultimately terminated. Davis was sentenced to six years to life on Jan. 9, 2004 for his crimes. Robert Morris, Deputy Director of Utah's Peace Officer Standards and Training Department, said that criminal offences committed by law enforcement are "few and far between," but just one offence is serious. The seriousness of this case may have the public worried about how safe and reliable their police departments really are. Some may question how often this type of misbehavior occurs in Utah's law enforcement agencies. Morris said not very often. According to Morris the public can be assured that even after all the screening that takes place before an officer is certified, officers are constantly being monitored. He said almost all law enforcement agencies send their officers through a screening process before they are hired. Much of that screening -- including extensive background checks and psychological evaluations -- is conducted before an applicant can even be admitted to the police academy. "Ninety-nine point nine percent [of problems] are screened out," Morris said. However, he said there might be some abnormal behavior that didn't show up in initial screenings. "People do weird things sometimes," he said. Whether Davis' problems were missed in initial screenings, or he developed them after becoming an officer, the public can be assured the department did everything necessary to prevent future incidents as soon as they found out what was going on, Sergeant Spencer Cannon, Public Information Officer at the Utah County Sheriff's Department, said. Cannon said he believes there is a public concern that police officers will "cover for their own" but assures neither he nor the people he works with would ever cover for someone. "We're here to stop people from hurting people," he said. Over the past several months the Utah County Sheriff's Department has felt the impact of Davis' crimes. Cannon said the department feels betrayed by their former deputy's actions. "I don't know anyone who wasn't a friend to Sean," he said, "It hurts." "One tarnish of a police officer is a big deal." Morris said. Cannon said he knows there will be people who'll question law enforcement because of this. However, he hopes the public can see through what Davis has done. "[Davis is] not the rule, he's the exception," Cannon said.

Officers Involved: Shauna Mackey, Michelle McLaughlin and Chris Bertram

2004 -- Jurors have cleared two Utah Highway Patrol troopers and a Salt Lake County sheriff's deputy of wrongdoing in a man's July 2000 arrest. After about four hours of deliberation, the federal court jury returned a finding Thursday night that the officers did not use excessive force against Tyler Tweed following a minor traffic accident.

Officers said Mr. Tweed became combative and violent when they attempted to move his vehicle following an accident. The officers forced Tweed to the median and handcuffed him, and Bertram then sprayed Tweed's eyes with pepper spray and beat him about the head, back and legs with his baton.

Bertram admitted to pepper spraying and hitting Tweed with his baton, but said he did so only to attempt to subdue the enraged man. The off-duty deputy was on his way home when he came upon the accident scene and stopped to assist the UHP troopers. He said he asked Tweed to either move the vehicle or get out of the car so Bertram could do so, but Tweed repeatedly refused. When Bertram leaned into the vehicle to undo Tweed's seat belt and remove him from the car, the seat belt hit his holstered gun. Thinking Tweed was reaching for the weapon, Bertram jumped back and sprayed the man in the eyes.

03/23/05 - A Granite School District police officer, accused of shooting an unarmed man, made his first court appearance today...surrounded by many of his fellow police officers.

Todd Rasmussen is charged with aggravated assault for an incident that happened last October.

While he was working the security night shift, he pursued a man during a high speed chase...and then shot him... leaving him seriously injured.

Now, The Salt Lake County District Attorney's office claims Rasmussen was not justified in firing his gun.

07/25/2005 - SALT LAKE CITY -- A Drug Enforcement Administration agent charged with participating in a scheme in which his wife allegedly faked a deadly disease made his first appearance before a 3rd District Court judge on Monday.

Officer Jeff James Clark, 36, of West Jordan was charged with two second-degree felony counts of theft by deception, a third-degree felony count of theft by deception and three third-degree felony counts of forgery. Clark allegedly used a letter in 2001 explaining his wife's purported ill health to support a transfer to Utah.

In March, Clark's wife, Tania, was charged with telling people that she was dying of a rare form of cancer. She allegedly received more than $16,000 in donations

08/08/2005 - SALT LAKE CITY -- A former Utah Highway Patrol trooper was charged Friday with taking money from the Utah Highway Patrol Association for his personal use. Officer Donald F. Sagendorf, 42, of Harrisville, was treasurer of the association from August 2002 to Aug. 10, 2004.

The association is a nonprofit organization that helps out troopers and contributes to charities. It gets its money from troopers' association dues. Sagendorf's duties included disbursing funds for authorized purposes from an account at Mountain America Credit Union.

A fraud investigator for the financial institution reported that from August 2002 to Aug. 10 withdrawals totalling nearly $33,776 were taken from the account, leaving it with nothing, according to 3rd District documents. In August, Sagendorf admitted to a UHP sergeant with the association that he paid out the $33,776 to himself and used it for his personal use, according to the documents.

Sagendorf's employment with the UHP was ended when the allegations came to light, said UHP spokesman Derek Jensen. Sagendorf was charged with unlawful dealing of property by a fiduciary, a second- degree felony, in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake City.

08/21/2005 - State law enforcement officials have moved to suspend Kamas Police Chief Errik Ovard's certification to work as a cop in Utah for four years, according to documents filed in July before the Peace Officers Standards and Training Council. Ovard, 36, pleaded no contest in April to domestic assault, a class A misdemeanor, and misdemeanor unlawful detention after an alleged physical altercation with his adult stepdaughter on March 3. He recently refused POST's attempts to suspend his certification and demanded that an administrative law judge hear his case, said POST Certification Supervisor Kevin Nitzel, who views Ovard's pleadings of no contest as similar to guilty. The state agency investigates officers who are accused of misconduct and recommends to its council whether certifications should be suspended or revoked. According to documents filed in Third District Court, if Ovard does not violate the law for a year the charges against him will be dismissed. No-contest pleas are normally filed as convictions, however, the plea in abeyance arrangement provides for the possible dismissal. Ovard was ordered to immediately pay a $150 fine and successfully complete courses in anger management and domestic violence before April 26, 2006. "Pleas to the charges, which will ultimately result in a dismissal, avoided witness testimony in court, hearings, trials, over-consumption of time and money as well as unavoidable media sensationalism," writes Ovard's attorney, Gerry D'Elia, in an answer to POST's complaint. "[Ovard] did not enter pleas to the charges because he was guilty. Chief Ovard's conduct did not fulfill the elements of the charges." The confrontation was precipitated by an alleged traffic violation committed by his stepdaughter, Ovard claims. "At the hearing it is expected that the facts will show that on the date of the events, [Ovard] was on duty, in uniform, and involved in the investigation of a recent traffic incident which jeopardized the public safety," D'Elia's response states. Ovard would not comment when contacted Friday but his attorney claims the confrontation was not a case of domestic violence. During the altercation, Ovard allegedly placed his 18-year-old stepdaughter in handcuffs twice. According to court documents, the chief then forced the woman into his police vehicle before releasing her. Another skirmish between the two resulted in Ovard grabbing the victim's neck, Weber County special prosecutor Branden Miles claims. "The victim suffered minor, reddish bruising about her neck. [Ovard] then escorted the victim in a restraining hold back to the passenger side of the police car," states a probable cause statement filed by Miles, who was hired to prosecute the case so Summit County officials could avoid potential conflicts of interest. According to Miles, Ovard forced the woman into his vehicle "against her will." "She tried to exit the vehicle again, but Mr. Ovard then pushed her back into the vehicle again grabbing her by the throat," court papers state. "She began to kick at him in self defense." Deputies were reportedly contacted around 10 a.m. and later arrested and booked Ovard into the Summit County Jail. "We requested a certain amount of time for a suspension and obviously he didn't agree with it, so that's why we're at the point that we're at now," Nitzel said Friday. A hearing for Ovard is scheduled Sept. 7 but POST Council won't likely hear his case and make a final decision until the board's winter meeting. "I think they're going to try and fight the charges," Nitzel said. "I'm not exactly sure what he's trying to fight or why he's trying to fight all we're trying to prove is that he went to court and he had pled guilty to a domestic-violence assault." Ovard has overseen the two-man police force in Kamas for about six years and was on duty this week after being placed on administrative leave when the charges surfaced. Kamas Mayor Lew Marchant and the City Council have stood by the embattled chief, as have hundreds of South Summit residents who signed petitions placed in Kamas businesses last spring that asked prosecutors not to charge Ovard. But with his involvement in the physical dispute, Ovard may have violated Utah's Law Enforcement Code of Ethics "that would tend to disrupt, diminish or otherwise jeopardize public trust and fidelity in law enforcement," Nitzel claims in his complaint.

11/05/2005 - An Orem man and his wife are bewildered and upset after they were prevented by police from getting access to a traffic accident scene Thursday in which their 7-year-old son was involved.

Jose Sanchez and his wife Maegan got a call that their son was in a wreck at the intersection of University Parkway and Sandhill Road on Thursday morning.

A Suburban traveling west on the Parkway ran a red light and collided with another vehicle that had the right of way. Though there appeared to be no serious injuries, seven children and two adults were transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center as a precaution.


The couple's son was one of the five children in the Suburban.

Yet when they arrived at the accident scene with their two younger children in the car, an Orem police officer directing traffic refused to allow them access to the scene despite the fact that Jose Sanchez had told him he was a parent of one of the children in the crash.

Lt. Doug Edwards, Orem Public Safety spokesman, said previously that Sanchez pulled his car over, got out and became involved in a verbal altercation with officers. Another officer said Sanchez pushed one of the Orem policemen at which point he was physically taken to the ground and arrested by several officers. Sanchez was cited with disorderly conduct and released later that morning by Orem police.

However, Jose and Maegan Sanchez dispute that account and say Sanchez, though upset and worried about his son, never touched an Orem officer.

"That never happened. He jerked his arm back out of instinct," Maegan Sanchez said. "We were scared and didn't know if (our son) was dead or alive."

Jose Sanchez said the police officer was not listening to him, just yelling at him and "getting right in my face."

"I said my son is out there," the father said. "I need to go down there."

Asked why the officer acted in the manner he did, Sanchez said he could only guess.

"I thought he's got a problem with Mexican people, brown people," he said. "Something like that."

Even more infuriating, Maegan Sanchez said, was that her husband, following his arrest, sat in an Orem holding facility still not knowing the condition of his son. The boy was taken to the emergency room at UVRMC but suffered only back and neck soreness.

"You could at least tell him," Maegan Sanchez said. "I thought that was totally inappropriate."

She visited later that day with Michael Larsen, the director of Orem's Public Safety Department, and said he was kind and told her he'd get to the bottom of what had happened to her husband.

"It seemed like he did admit it wasn't handled the way it should have been," Maegan Sanchez said. "(Larsen) did a lot for me and made me feel a lot better."

Edwards confirmed the Orem Department of Public Safety has launched an internal investigation to determine exactly what happened and if officers acted inappropriately.

"We're looking into it," he said. "No determination has been made, no one has been put on administrative leave."

Most officers, Edwards said, would do everything they could to accommodate a parent whose child had been involved in an accident. Most, he said, are parents themselves and would try to help.

"We take seriously any claims by citizens of misconduct by police or concerns about the way we do business," Edwards said. "As a result, those complaints are always investigated."

Maegan Sanchez says an apology from the officer would be appreciated.

"It was bad enough already," she said. "That just made it 10 times worse."

01/31/2006 - PROVO, Utah - Despite his tearful plea, former Lehi police officer Arthur Henderson has been denied bail pending filing of charges in a car chase with gunshots followed by the serious wounding of his former wife's boyfriend.

Henderson, 38, told the court Monday that his elderly parents rely on his assistance, but 4th District Judge Steven L. Hansen told him, "I find you to be very volatile and highly emotional."

An arraignment hearing was set for Monday, at which charges were expected to be filed.

Authorities allege that on Friday morning, Henderson, firing through his windshield, chased the car carrying his former wife, Natalie Henderson, and her boyfriend, Craig Trimble, until smashing into their car at her parents' home.

The probable cause statement said Arthur Henderson then jumped out, went to the driver's side window of the car and repeatedly fired a handgun past Natalie Henderson's face, striking Trimble in the stomach and leg.

When Trimble fled to a nearby home, Henderson got a high-powered rifle from his truck and allegedly began firing at arriving Lehi police officers. The officers returned fire, striking Henderson in the foot and knee. Henderson then gave up and was taken into custody.

Henderson was treated at American Fork Hospital and released late Friday.

Trimble was flown to LDS Hospital, then transferred to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where he was listed in serious but stable condition on Monday.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Sherry Ragan said that during the chase, Arthur Henderson fired recklessly, with one slug going through a car in which a 7-year-old child was riding, and another puncturing the windshield of a responding officer.

According to the probable cause statement, another bullet struck another Lehi police officer in the foot, but did not penetrate his boot.

Ragan told Hansen that Arthur Henderson's alleged acts and his psychological state pose an extreme risk to society.

At Monday's hearing, he argued that he needed to be given bail to care for his elderly parents, and that he was not a flight risk due to his ties to the community and due to injuries from the shooting. He said he was scheduled to undergo knee replacement surgery.

He also said that he had been taking a prescription antidepressant, but his doctor had recently refused to give him more of the drug.

He was fired from the Lehi police in 2004 after he was charged with misdemeanor simple assault. He was convicted in Justice Court, but has appealed to the 4th District Court, where the case is pending.

Mormon portion of Utah population steadily shrinking
By Matt Canham
©2005, The Salt Lake Tribune

On this day, 158 years ago, Brigham Young and his band of pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, starting a migration that quickly turned Utah into a Mormon-dominated desert realm.
That domination - at least in terms of raw numbers - appears to be nearing its end.
Within the next three years, the Mormon share of Utah's population is expected to hit its lowest level since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints started keeping membership numbers. And if current trends continue, LDS residents no longer will constitute a majority by 2030.
These projections are based on normally secret membership counts the LDS Church voluntarily hands over to Utah's Office of Planning and Budget, under what it assumed was a binding confidentiality agreement. The state planning office uses the county-by-county numbers to help estimate future population growth.
Through a public records request, The Salt Lake Tribune obtained the data from 1989 to 2004. State employees believe the LDS Church has provided the records since at least the 1960s but could retrieve only the numbers for 15 years and found no such confidentiality agreement.
Still, these 15 years are enough to identify a historic transformation in the makeup of Utah's ever-growing population.
Stated simply: "Utah is essentially becoming more like the nation," said Robert Spendlove, the planning office's lead demographer.


more... http://kutv.com/topstories/local%5Fstory%5F205173434.html

Scott Sowle developed this website to raise awareness about the state's homeless problem. Includes news and articles written by homeless people. http://slstreets.org

SALT LAKE CITY The state liquor warehouse and retail outlets don't have enough room to stock low-alcohol malt beverages, a switch Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff proposed to get the malt beverages out of grocery stories.

No Beer On Sundays
Oct 12, 2005 6:04 am MT
South Salt Lake’s new law that does not allow taverns to sell beer on Sundays is apparently a mistake.

http://www.kutv.com/video/?id=9108@kutv.dayport.com

Keeping members a challenge for LDS church
Mormon myth: The belief that the church is the fastest-growing faith in the world doesn't hold up
By Peggy Fletcher Stack
The Salt Lake Tribune

The claim that Mormonism is the fastest-growing faith in the world has been repeated so routinely by sociologists, anthropologists, journalists and proud Latter-day Saints as to be perceived as unassailable fact.
The trouble is, it isn't true.
Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than 12 million members on its rolls, more than doubling its numbers in the past quarter-century. But since 1990, other faiths - Seventh-day Adventists, Assemblies of God and Pentecostal groups - have grown much faster and in more places around the globe.
And most telling, the number of Latter-day Saints who are considered active churchgoers is only about a third of the total, or 4 million in the pews every Sunday, researchers say.
For a church with such a large, dedicated missionary corps constantly seeking to spread its word, conversion numbers in recent years tell an unexpected story.
According to LDS-published statistics, the annual number of LDS converts declined from a high of 321,385 in 1996 to 241,239 in 2004. In the 1990s, the church's growth rate went from 5 percent a year to 3 percent.
By comparison, the Seventh-day Adventist Church reports it has added more than 900,000 adult converts each year since 2000 (an average growth of about 5 percent), bringing the total membership to 14.3 million. The Assemblies of God now claims more than 50 million members worldwide, adding 10,000 new members every day.

More.. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2890645