(1) A person injured in his person, business, or property by a person engaged in conduct forbidden by any provision of Section 76-10-1603 may bring an action in a court with jurisdiction under Title 78A, Judiciary and Judicial Administration, to recover twice the damages that the person sustains, regardless of whether:

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Terms Used In Utah Code 76-10-1605

  • Act: means a voluntary bodily movement and includes speech. See Utah Code 76-1-101.5
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Conduct: means an act or omission. See Utah Code 76-1-101.5
  • Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Enterprise: means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, business trust, association, or other legal entity, and any union or group of individuals associated in fact although not a legal entity, and includes illicit as well as licit entities. See Utah Code 76-10-1602
  • 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.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Pattern of unlawful activity: means engaging in conduct which constitutes the commission of at least three episodes of unlawful activity, which episodes are not isolated, but have the same or similar purposes, results, participants, victims, or methods of commission, or otherwise are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics. See Utah Code 76-10-1602
  • Person: includes any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property, including state, county, and local governmental entities. See Utah Code 76-10-1602
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Property: includes both real and personal property. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • United States: includes each state, district, and territory of the United States of America. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Unlawful activity: means to directly engage in conduct or to solicit, request, command, encourage, or intentionally aid another person to engage in conduct which would constitute any offense described by the following crimes or categories of crimes, or to attempt or conspire to engage in an act which would constitute any of those offenses, regardless of whether the act is in fact charged or indicted by any authority or is classified as a misdemeanor or a felony:
         (4)(a) an act prohibited by the criminal provisions under Title 13, Chapter 10, Unauthorized Recording Practices Act;
         (4)(b) an act prohibited by the criminal provisions under Title 19, Environmental Quality Code, Sections 19-1-101 through 19-7-109;
         (4)(c) taking, destroying, or possessing wildlife or parts of wildlife for the primary purpose of sale, trade, or other pecuniary gain under Title 23A, Wildlife Resources Act, or Section 23A-5-311;
         (4)(d) false claims for medical benefits, kickbacks, or other acts prohibited under Title 26B, Chapter 3, Part 11, Utah False Claims Act, Sections 26B-3-1101 through 26B-3-1112;
         (4)(e) an act prohibited by the criminal provisions under Title 32B, Chapter 4, Criminal Offenses and Procedure Act;
         (4)(f) an act prohibited by the criminal provisions under Title 57, Chapter 11, Utah Uniform Land Sales Practices Act;
         (4)(g) an act prohibited by the criminal provisions under Title 58, Chapter 37, Utah Controlled Substances Act, or Title 58, Chapter 37b, Imitation Controlled Substances Act, Title 58, Chapter 37c, Utah Controlled Substance Precursor Act, or Title 58, Chapter 37d, Clandestine Drug Lab Act;
         (4)(h) an act prohibited by the criminal provisions under Title 61, Chapter 1, Utah Uniform Securities Act;
         (4)(i) an act prohibited by the criminal provisions under Title 63G, Chapter 6a, Utah Procurement Code;
         (4)(j) assault under Section76-5-102;
         (4)(k) aggravated assault under Section 76-5-103;
         (4)(l) a threat of terrorism under Section Utah Code 76-10-1602
     (1)(a) the injury is separate or distinct from the injury suffered as a result of the acts or conduct constituting the pattern of unlawful conduct alleged as part of the cause of action; or
     (1)(b) the conduct has been adjudged criminal by any court of the state or of the United States.
(2) A party who prevails on a cause of action brought under this section recovers the cost of the suit, including reasonable attorney fees.
(3) All actions arising under this section which are grounded in fraud are subject to arbitration under Title 78B, Chapter 11, Utah Uniform Arbitration Act.
(4) In all actions under this section, a principal is liable for actual damages for harm caused by an agent acting within the scope of either his employment or apparent authority. A principal is liable for double damages only if the pattern of unlawful activity alleged and proven as part of the cause of action was authorized, solicited, requested, commanded, undertaken, performed, or recklessly tolerated by the board of directors or a high managerial agent acting within the scope of his employment.
(5) In all actions arising under this section, the burden of proof is clear and convincing evidence.
(6) The attorney general, county attorney, or, if within a prosecution district, the district attorney may maintain actions under this section on behalf of the state, the county, or any person injured by a person engaged in conduct forbidden by any provision of Section 76-10-1603, to prevent, restrain, or remedy injury as defined in this section and may recover the damages and costs allowed by this section.
(7) In all actions under this section, the elements of each claim or cause of action shall be stated with particularity against each defendant.
(8) If an action, claim, or counterclaim brought or asserted by a private party under this section is dismissed prior to trial or disposed of on summary judgment, or if it is determined at trial that there is no liability, the prevailing party shall recover from the party who brought the action or asserted the claim or counterclaim the amount of its reasonable expenses incurred because of the defense against the action, claim, or counterclaim, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.
(9) An action or proceeding brought under this section shall be commenced within three years after the conduct prohibited by Section 76-10-1603 terminates or the cause of action accrues, whichever is later. This provision supersedes any limitation to the contrary.
(10)

     (10)(a) In any action brought under this section, the court may prevent, restrain, or remedy injury as defined by this section by issuing appropriate orders after making provisions for the rights of innocent persons.
     (10)(b) Before liability is determined in any action brought under this section, the court may:

          (10)(b)(i) issue restraining orders and injunctions;
          (10)(b)(ii) require satisfactory performance bonds or any other bond it considers appropriate and necessary in connection with any property or any requirement imposed upon a party by the court; and
          (10)(b)(iii) enter any other order the court considers necessary and proper.
     (10)(c) After a determination of liability, the court may, in addition to granting the relief allowed in Subsection (1), do any one or all of the following:

          (10)(c)(i) order any person to divest himself of any interest in or any control, direct or indirect, of any enterprise;
          (10)(c)(ii) impose reasonable restrictions on the future activities or investments of any person, including prohibiting any person from engaging in the same type of endeavor as the enterprise engaged in, to the extent the Utah Constitution and the Constitution of the United States permit; or
          (10)(c)(iii) order the dissolution or reorganization of any enterprise.
     (10)(d) However, if an action is brought to obtain any relief provided by this section, and if the conduct prohibited by Section 76-10-1603 has for its pattern of unlawful activity acts or conduct illegal under Section 76-10-1204, 76-10-1205, 76-10-1206, or 76-10-1222, the court may not enter any order that would amount to a prior restraint on the exercise of an affected party’s rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, or Article I, Sec. 15 of the Utah Constitution. The court shall, upon the request of any affected party, and upon the notice to all parties, prior to the issuance of any order provided for in this subsection, and at any later time, hold hearings as necessary to determine whether any materials at issue are obscene or pornographic and to determine if there is probable cause to believe that any act or conduct alleged violates Section 76-10-1204, 76-10-1205, 76-10-1206, or 76-10-1222. In making its findings the court shall be guided by the same considerations required of a court making similar findings in criminal cases brought under Section 76-10-1204, 76-10-1205, 76-10-1206, or 76-10-1222, including, but not limited to, the definitions in Sections 76-10-1201, 76-10-1203, and 76-10-1216, and the exemptions in Section 76-10-1226.
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