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Show APRIL at 2001 fell Is Fadhouake and Disaster Preparedness Month County Attorney to Seale aat “Victien’ s Rights Conference LAL | LL | HULL We NICKI CALLAHAN SPECIAL TO THE COURIER individual segment of the Wasatch fault could be near Richter magnitude 7.5, COURIER STAFF of the Utah Council on Victims, said -according to the Epicenter Earthquake Natural and technological disasters _ the conference includes training that Preparedness Center. It was a 7.1 earthcan occur. at any time, threatening the is not offered statewide elsewhere. In quake that shook San Francisco in : " 7 asatch County Attorney. safety of loved ones as well as jeopardaddition, Reed said | a Victims’ October 1989, resulting in 62 fatalities. izing property and personal belongAcademy for. weeklong training is Besides the initial damage from an — | \ \ Derek Pullan will presenta ings. Often times we tend to ignore being established at Weber State earthquake the aftermath of other such disasters until they actually hap~ workshop at the 14th Annual Utah University. earthquake induced hazards may be | pen, which of course by then is too “Derek has been an extremely © just as serious. Flooding due to dam Conference on Victims of Crime, late. In order to focus attention on active county attorney, and has been failure could possibly cause the most preparation for such catastrophes, the excellent in trying to provide for vicproperty damage and loss of life. The which begins April 25 in Salt Lake City. Wasatch County Board of. tims,” Richards said.-“He is (speaking Epicenter Earthquake Preparedness For the first time, Pullan will disat the conference) for his own interest | Commissioners has declared April Center. lists Pineview and Causey Earthquake and Disaster cuss io Prosecutors ae oe | and because he does a good job.” (Ogden Canyon); Echo, Rockport, Preparedness Month. | z Richards said the Victims’ ~ Lost Creek, and East Canyon (Weber Federal Emergency ‘Advocacy Program provides support — = lhe‘... Canyon); Jordenelle and Deer Creek . Management Agency ranks Utah sixth in one i pe - = (Provo Canyon); and Mountain Dell eae », to victims and the cases because it the nation in terms of its relative earthbE haven’t. been asked reine so I allows victims to work with someone and Little Dell (Parley’s Canyon), as quake risk. The State Geological Office was thrilled, ‘ said Pullans = trained (often in psychology) directly ‘major dams that may affect the areain Attorneys, crime victims, justices, rather than requiring therapy and aid _ reports. that the likelihood of a large regard to flooding. | legal and social agency staff will attend to be managed by the prosecutor. The’ | earthquake on the Wasatch fault during While it is not possible to prevent the next 100 years is about one in four or the two-day conference. It consists of earthquakes and the subsequent disas25 percent. A large earthquake is training workshops led by law enforce. ters, it is within our ability to be predefined as a magnitude of seven or high- — pared. The County Commission has ment personnel, a rape recovery cener on the Richter scale. The last such ter director and a law professor. Hourcompiled a booklet of materials and tips earthquake in Utah. appears to have long workshops i in addition to Pullan’s to aid in such a situation, including - occurred between Mona-and Nephi include D.N.A. profiling, increasing information for preparing children, eldabout 400 years ago. The primary active victims’. strengths, sex offenders and 3 erly, families, physically challenged and faults capable of such an earthquake are how-to interview children. pets, as well as suggestions for organizthe Wasatch and Bear River faults. Pullan’ s interest in victims’ rights ‘ing your neighborhood and advice on The roughly 200-mile long Wasatch began ‘in Heber. - securing furniture within your home. _ fault is broken into several segments. Wasatch County implemented a _ County officials will be distributing Each segment, approximately 20 to 30 victim’s advocacy programafew years preparedness booklets to schools and - iniles long, may produce its own earthago. The program, which acts asaliait == _ business around Utah, or you may pick | : ~~ quake independent of other segments. son between attorneys, victims. and one up at their offices located at 805 W. | The largest expected earthquake on an support - agencies, puts victims | inne 100 S. in Heber City. : touch with. experts—legal, ‘medical and psychological—following their rently enrolled. — | traumatic experiences. It includes > FILE PHOTO DRUG COURT | The county is in the process of counseling, medical bill reparation, Wasatch County Attorney Derek Pullan will _ CONTINUED FROMAL “securing a state grant to expand the legal information and provides open speak for the first time atthe Utah ee | _ KIRSTEN SHAW _ Reed Richards, Attorney and Chair oe communication between all parties. Conference on Vietims of Crime i fee | The advocacy program also assists victims of domestic violence obtain protective orders. “Having a victim’s advocacy pio - gram in the county has afforded victims of a crime a kinder, gentler process,” Pullan said. “A prosecutor ‘simply doesn’t have the time to give that kind of attention.” — npetingg constitutional rights,” ” said Ae Han: “W au “Tes 1not. a | situation all play a “Narcotic Mere ee | = court. It’s s a good thing for victims. For ie - people « come in and we Section 28 declares crime victims’ rights. Victims are promised due © shea eae no help—essentially just ae “sweep | the drug ad tictgon process and should be treated with fairness, respect and dignity. The section also states crime victims must be informed, present at and be heard at hearings. The Victims’ Rights Provision, passed a few years ago, pro- | vit ness. Now the system is extreme- | ly responsive to victims. The pendulum has maybe swung back toward allowing victims to have rights on a parallel with the criminal defendant.” vides victims be treated with compas- tim’s SSonica during criminal aes fess _ painful. Various officials will be on hand to distribute funding through grants. Pullan said. “The objective is to ensure the criminal justice process is in total © fairness to the people it serves.” ~““They come in using’ and think they can continue to get away with it. and they find out real quick,” she said. including the Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News and the Wasatch Wave. 24,000 READERS!!! WASATCH COUNTY Wasatch County’s Source for News eMIDWAY, UT ¢(801) 654-2661 many whom are holding down jobs and exhibiting a rarely seen sense of pride. “We're starting to see some addiction really doesn’t know socioeconomic boundaries, age boundaries or gender boundaries,” he said. “It takes all kinds.” The County Alforiex explained the impetus for Drug Court was born from his frustration over seeing the same people turning up in trouble. He _ felt punishing them with. jail time was not giving the users the adequate tools ‘DEREK PULLAN— s= Wasatch County Attorney— said several clients (all but four are other objective would be to put people ~ local) have advanced to the final stages together who help each other, not only -of the system — moving through with to learn but to be mentored a to Z ~ consistently clean tests. She said she pe start programs.” has been amazed at the physical and psychological changes in the clients — circulation and subscription base in Wasatch County. 210 EAST MAIN STREET the rug.” But the other side of the spectrum “Education is always part of the 2 has been nothing if not hopeful. Day conference goal,” Richards said. “The ward if they are protected by the law,” # | under upcoming « conference will pro- sion, be notified and present at hearings and have a right to be heard. “A victim going into the criminal _ justice process knows they have certain rights. If they are intimidated, they will be more willing to come for- court, which could happen later this | ae ‘you know you have |-oS ae time after urnings in “dirty”, tests. : , piping annavas eaniples to moni_tor their progress. Drug Court Administrator Kathy© year. “It’s just a matter of getting the paperwork done,” Day said. program also ee prosecutors to Meanwhile, Pullan said he is tar- — have a liaison to the victim, who acts Day, who works for Wasatch County _ geting what he calls the “addict offendt , so. the the atto attorCe as.a.coordinator Ns A ~ Center for Alcohol and Drug Services . er,” noting background has little to do spend more time on the case. _ says about half the clients have done problem. WI he “It makes sense. As victims’ rights 5 coleene ‘ines The Utah Constitution Article One, . POS O of these people change patterns in their to fix the problem. _ | Yet Pullan worried . the county would not have sufficient numbers of offenders to justify the expense of a county-funded Drug Court. Shortly after it was unveiled, however, the system reached capacity.. , “That fear was AMERY, resolved, A Pullan said. - Clients must spend a minimum of one year in the program, though 14 months looks to be the average. In order to qualify for admittance, clients must have pled guilty to a drug felony. For the duration of their commitment in the program, drug sentences are held in abeyance. | Pullan is heartened and optimistic about Drug Court’s early high marks _ lives and feel good about themselves,” | — calling the idea “one of the best” Day said. “I am really excited about it. The changes are just phenomenal.” © In fact, officials say, the first Drug Court graduation will take place this he’s accomplished in just over two years as County Attorney. _ His hopes may be realized as statistics show graduates of Drug Court don’t have nearly the recidivism rate of other drug convicts. “In the end you aren’t fast elaine the drugs off the street,” Pullan says, “but taking the _ addicted person off the street.” . year — perhaps by the end of summer. Once the court was set up in November it quickly filled to capacity. Pullan said they are approaching the point of establishing a waiting list. Originally, the court was designed to accommodate 20 to 40 clients, but resources will only allow the 12 cur- Email: ee ek |