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Terms Used In Utah Code 53-25-201

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Law enforcement agency: means an entity or division of:
              (1)(e)(i)
                   (1)(e)(i)(A) the federal government, a state, or a political subdivision of a state;
                   (1)(e)(i)(B) a state institution of higher education; or
                   (1)(e)(i)(C) a private institution of higher education, if the entity or division is certified by the commissioner under Title 53, Chapter 19, Certification of Private Law Enforcement Agency; and
              (1)(e)(ii) that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws, statutes, and ordinances. See Utah Code 53-1-102
     (1)(a) Beginning January 1, 2024, a law enforcement agency shall create and maintain a policy regarding the law enforcement agency’s processes for handling sexual assault investigations.
     (1)(b) A policy described under Subsection (1)(a) shall include current best practices for handling sexual assault investigations, including:

          (1)(b)(i) protocols and training on responses to sexual trauma;
          (1)(b)(ii) emergency response procedures, including prompt contact with the victim and the preservation of evidence; and
          (1)(b)(iii) referrals to sexual assault support services.
     (1)(c) A law enforcement agency shall publicly post on the law enforcement agency’s website the policy described in Subsection (1)(a).
(2) Beginning January 1, 2024, a law enforcement agency shall create and publicly post on the law enforcement agency’s website a guide for victims of sexual assault that includes:

     (2)(a) a description of the law enforcement agency’s processes for handling sexual assault investigations;
     (2)(b) contact information for victims of sexual assault to obtain more information from the law enforcement agency; and
     (2)(c) referral information for sexual assault victim support services.