Joint Statement on the Settlement Announced in ACLU of Utah Lawsuit Against Utah Division of Adult Probation &

SALT LAKE CITY — The Parties to Marquez Yañez v. Burdine et al, have reached a compromised settlement of all claims asserted by Plaintiffs, the Yañez family. Specifically, the State has agreed to pay Plaintiffs $137,500 on behalf of the Defendants and the Utah Department of Corrections has agreed, as part of its annual in-service training where such topics are routinely covered, to provide further instruction for its Adult Probation and Parole officers regarding entry into homes and the Fourth Amendment, when to contact federal authorities about people in homes, racial profiling, and precautions to consider when minors are present.

“We are pleased to reach closure in this case, and that AP & P has agreed to train its agents on several important issues moving forward,” said Munir Yáñez. “Our main goals in this action have always been to make a strong stand for our family and to make positive impact for our community in the future. We think this agreement meets both of these goals,” he concluded.

“Our Adult Probation and Parole division and its staff are dedicated to our mission of enhancing public safety while helping offenders succeed,” said Mike Haddon, executive director for the Utah Department of Corrections. “While we stand by our officers in this case, our Department continually aspires to better our operations and processes. We stand committed to further enhancing our in-service training on the subjects outlined in the Marquez Yañez settlement.”

Download a copy of this joint statement (PDF): https://www.acluutah.org/images/pdfs-doc/20-09-30-JointStmt-ACLU_APP-final.pdf

For additional background, please consult the ACLU of Utah web-page on this lawsuit: https://www.acluutah.org/yanez

Covington & Burling, LLP, and Crowell & Moring LLP served as co-counsel with the ACLU of Utah in this suit.