Polygamy czar

Mormonism and polygamy
Portrait of five caucasian Latter-day Saints, married to each other in nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint polygamy, against the backdrop of what may be a hedge. All seem to be posing; none face the camera. Leftmost is a woman, seated, her hair done in a high, braided bun, wearing a dress with buttons down the middle; in her hands are an open book. Center-left, standing furthest to the back (though still very much with the portraited group) is a woman, her hair done up but resting low, in a polka-dotted top and a scarf or ascot around her neck and a skirt. She carries a hat, held to her waist. Center is a woman, sort of kneeling or seated (perhaps there is an unseen stool she's sitting on?). She wears a white dress, her hair is done up in a high and large bun and she wears a headband. In her right arm she holds a hat, over her knees; her left arm rests on the lap of the man sitting center right. She may be leaning against his legs. Center-right is a man, wearing a suit jacket of some kind and a high-collared shirt. He is balded and bearded. His left hand is placed over the left arm of the center woman. Rightmost is a woman, her hair done up but resting low, sitting in a visibly wooden (likely handcrafted) chair. She wears a dress with buttons going down the middle. She holds a hat, which looks very like center's hat, over her knees.
A Mormon "Saint" and Wives by Charles Weitfle (c. 1878–1885)
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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]

After Barton, Jim Hill took over as the "Polygamy Czar", continuing investigations into crimes in polygamous communities. The position remains in place, and investigations continue with similar responsibilities today.

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 to a felony.[6][5]

In fiction

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A fictionalized polygamy czar was introduced in the HBO series Big Love in the episode "Affair."

Officeholders

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  • Ron Barton (2000–2004)
  • Jim Hill (2004–2006)

Notes

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  1. ^ O'Driscoll, Patrick (June 19, 2001). "Polygamist goes on trial in Utah". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2014-10-22.
  2. ^ "Ron Barton Goes From Polygamy Czar to Tree Czar". 2004.
  3. ^ "Utah State Legislature 76-7-101". Effective 5/4/2022
  4. ^ "Polygamy essentially decriminalized in Utah". Fox News. 13 May 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Utah Code Section 76-7-101". State of Utah. Retrieved January 30, 2023.

References

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