For Immediate Release April 16, 2007 Contact Paul Murphy: (801) 538-1892 pmurphy@utah.gov

UTAH & ARIZONA ATTORNEYS GENERAL TO HOST TOWN HALL ON ISOLATED COMMUNITIES AUTHORITARIAN GROUP EXPERT WILL ALSO OFFER TRAINING

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard are inviting the public to attend the third Town Hall Meeting concerning efforts to help victims from isolated communities. A nationally known expert on authoritarian groups will also offer a special training earlier in the day for social workers, law enforcement officers and others offering help in these communities. "Nearly everyone has an opinion about polygamy and what is happening in some of the more isolated communities," says Mark Shurtleff. "This is a chance for the public to get informed on the issues and to speak out about efforts to provide equal access to safety and justice." The Town Hall Meeting will be moderated by Ken Verdoia, KUED-TV Director of Production and award-winning documentary producer. After remarks from Shurtleff and Goddard, the following panelists will speak: Maureen Crump, Safe Passage Grant Case Manager who has been assisting victims of domestic violence from polygamous communities. LeAnne Timpson, charter school principal in Centennial Park. Fawn Broadbent, teen and former resident of Colorado City. Natalie Hammon, high school basketball coach in Colorado City Gary Engels, Mohave County Attorney's Office investigator assigned to Colorado City. Audience members will then have the opportunity to make comments or ask questions of panel members. "Arizona and Utah have worked closely together to make sure the state borders don't create any barriers to victims getting help," says Terry Goddard. "The Town Hall Meeting will be an opportunity for the public to learn how to pitch in and help." The Town Hall Meeting and training is a community awareness project for the 2007 National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The theme this year is "Victims' Rights: Every Victim, Every Time." The keynote speaker at the training is Livia Bardin, an independent scholar, author and licensed clinical social worker who is an expert on authoritarian groups. Law enforcement officers, social workers and other people working with polygamous communities will be able to attend the training for a nominal fee because of a grant from the Department of Justice for National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The idea to invite Bardin actually came from members of the Centennial Park Action Committee, a volunteer group from a polygamous community that has been working to create better relations with government agencies. "Livia understands the critical issues involved with isolated groups," says CPAC member LeAnne Thompson. "She helps her audience analyze their paradigms, identify barriers and understand effective ways of approaching sensitive situations." Planning for the training and the Town Hall Meeting was done by the Safety Net Committee, a committee that has been meeting for four years and includes members from government agencies, non-profit agencies and other groups who have been working together to promote justice, safety and education for people living in polygamous communities. Who & What:    The public is invited to attend the free Town Hall Meeting featuring Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff & Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and others When:    7:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2007 Where:    Dixie Center, 1835 S. Convention Center Drive, St. George, Utah

attorneygeneral.utah.gov Originally published April 16, 2007

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