Mark Shurtleff
Encyclopedia
Mark Shurtleff is the current attorney general
of the state of Utah
, United States, a position he has held since January 2001. Shurtleff is a member of the Republican
Party.
, University of Utah College of Law, and University of San Diego School of Law
. Shurtleff served as a missionary
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Peru.
He began his legal career by serving four years in the United States Navy
Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), then was a lawyer in Southern California.
Shurtleff was elected Attorney General in November 2000, and was re-elected in November 2004 and November 2008. He is the first Attorney General in Utah to win re-election for a third term.
As Attorney General, Shurtleff sided with school voucher proponents when he issued an official legal opinion stating that under a second law (HB174), private school vouchers would still be funded even if voters rejected the primary voucher bill (HB 148) in a November referendum. On June 8, 2007, it took the Utah Supreme Court only hours to rule unanimously that the second law (HB 174) would also be nullified if voters reject the primary voucher bill. .
. On November 4, 2009 Shurtleff ended his campaign for U.S. Senate in order to spend more time with his daughter, who is experiencing severe mental health problems.
He has also faced allegations of taking donations from companies he knows to be in the midst of legal proceedings for which he has responsibility.
, a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled unconstitutional state laws that permitted in-state wineries to ship wine directly to consumers, but prohibited out-of-state wineries from doing the same. Shurtleff's remarks were drafted by the general counsel of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, who also arranged for Shurtleff's trip to Washington, D.C.
and is fluent in Spanish.
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
of the state of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States, a position he has held since January 2001. Shurtleff is a member of the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Party.
Education and early career
Shurtleff attended Brighton High School (Cottonwood Heights, Utah), Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, University of Utah College of Law, and University of San Diego School of Law
University of San Diego School of Law
The University of San Diego School of Law, commonly referred to as USD Law, is a law school located on the campus of the University of San Diego in San Diego, California in the community of Linda Vista. Founded in 1954, the law school has held ABA approval since 1961...
. Shurtleff served as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Peru.
He began his legal career by serving four years in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), then was a lawyer in Southern California.
Public service
Shurtleff was a Deputy County Attorney and a Commissioner of Salt Lake County. He then became an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Utah.Shurtleff was elected Attorney General in November 2000, and was re-elected in November 2004 and November 2008. He is the first Attorney General in Utah to win re-election for a third term.
As Attorney General, Shurtleff sided with school voucher proponents when he issued an official legal opinion stating that under a second law (HB174), private school vouchers would still be funded even if voters rejected the primary voucher bill (HB 148) in a November referendum. On June 8, 2007, it took the Utah Supreme Court only hours to rule unanimously that the second law (HB 174) would also be nullified if voters reject the primary voucher bill. .
U.S. Senate campaign
On May 12, 2009, Shurtleff inadvertently disclosed, via a twitter message, that he planned to enter the 2010 Republican primaryUnited States Senate election in Utah, 2010
Lee-Polling:-Results:-Candidates:*Tim Bridgewater, small businessman *Mike Lee, attorney- Endorsements :BridgewaterLee-Polling:-Results:-Results:- Candidates :* Scott Bradley , businessman...
. On November 4, 2009 Shurtleff ended his campaign for U.S. Senate in order to spend more time with his daughter, who is experiencing severe mental health problems.
Scandals
The media has reported allegations that Shurtleff allows political donations or personal relationships to affect regulatory or prosecutorial decisions.He has also faced allegations of taking donations from companies he knows to be in the midst of legal proceedings for which he has responsibility.
Recent activities
Shurtleff was a speaker at B'nai Shalom's semiannual conference in April 2010. In September 2010, Shurtleff testified before the House Judiciary Committee in support of the Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act, an act that seeks to reverse the effects of Granholm v. HealdGranholm v. Heald
Granholm v. Heald, 544 U.S. 460 , was a court case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in a 5-4 decision that ruled that laws in New York and Michigan that permitted in-state wineries to ship wine directly to consumers, but prohibited out-of-state wineries from doing the same, were...
, a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled unconstitutional state laws that permitted in-state wineries to ship wine directly to consumers, but prohibited out-of-state wineries from doing the same. Shurtleff's remarks were drafted by the general counsel of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, who also arranged for Shurtleff's trip to Washington, D.C.
Election history
Personal life
Shurtleff is married with five children. He is an Eagle ScoutEagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and is fluent in Spanish.
External links
- Official site of Utah Attorney General
- Biography from the Deseret News
- Information Sheet from Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...