Attorney General Statement on Nomination of Janise Macanas and Kent Holmberg for 3rd District Court

Janise Macanas

SALT LAKE CITY November 7, 2016 – Attorney General Sean Reyes released the following statement today:

“Given the caliber of lawyers within our ranks, the Utah Attorney General’s Office is honored but not surprised The 3rd District Judicial Nominating Commission has chosen multiple Assistant AG’s as two of the five finalists for further consideration by the Governor. Both Assistant Attorney General & Special Prosecutions Section Director Janise Macanas and Assistant Attorney General & Torts Section Director Kent Holmberg have rendered distinguished service to the UAGO and the citizens of Utah for years.

“Either Director Macanas or Director Holmberg would be a fine choice for the bench to succeed Judge Maughan. We congratulate them both as well as their families on making it through such a competitive process and wish them both the best in their interviews with Governor Herbert.”

Kent Holmberg

Written comments on nominees can be submitted to the 3rd District Judicial Nominating Commission Chair Jack Wixom at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330. The deadline for written comments is noon Nov. 15, 2016. The Nominating Commission may request further information or conduct an investigation of the nominees after reviewing public comments. After the public comment period, the names will be sent to Gov. Gary R. Herbert, who will have 30 days to make an appointment. Gov. Herbert’s appointee is subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

Statewide Criminal Enterprise Succumbs to Multi-Agency Investigation

SALT LAKE CITY April 13, 2016 –The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced today that Jimmy Jack Olson (aka Olsen), has entered into a second degree felony plea deal for Criminal Enterprise and over $40,000 in restitution. The investigation and arrest were spearheaded by the Unified Police Department (UPD) and local law enforcement agencies. The criminal case and plea were handled by the OAG, halting Olson’s four-state crime spree involving sixty-two break-ins, vandalism and theft from vending machines in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Idaho.

“We welcome and enjoy working with our sister agencies, across state and county lines. That kind of effective cooperation and sharing of resources makes Utahns safer,” said Attorney General Sean Reyes. “Thanks to the excellent coordination by UPD Detective Angie Hunter, our state and local law enforcement partners and the Utah Attorney General’s Justice Division and Special Investigations Unit, we were able to stop Olson’s serial crimes.”

“This case is one of many examples of our Law Enforcement Partners coming together to provide resources and expertise to solve a complex criminal problem,” said UPD Sheriff Jim Winder. “We would like to thank the OAG for their time and attention to this case making it possible to bring Mr. Olson to Justice. We are proud to have worked with so many brothers and sisters in Law Enforcement spanning across so many Law Enforcement Jurisdictions. This is a testament to the capabilities and dedication of our men and woman in blue coming together to make our communities safer.”

UPD Detective Angie Hunter stated “These cases could not have been solved and Olson would not have been stopped had it not been for the cooperation of so many different agencies. All law enforcement came together and it didn’t matter where the crimes took place or who the case manager was, we all wanted the same conclusion, and there were no boundaries between agencies. We all work together to improve the quality of life for our communities.”

The OAG prosecution team included Gregory Ferbrache and Janise Macanas of the Special Prosecutions Unit/Justice Division. The investigation was spearheaded by UPD with collaboration from the following police departments: American Fork, Cedar City, Centerville, Harrisville, Layton, Lehi, Lindon, Murray, North Ogden, Ogden, Orem, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverdale, Roosevelt, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, Spanish Fork, Springville, St. George, Sunset, Tooele, West Jordan, and West Valley

Attorney General Statement on Nomination of Janise Macanas for 3rd District Court

SALT LAKE CITY April 11, 2016 – Attorney General Sean Reyes released the following statement today:

Janise Macanas

“The 3rd District Judicial Nominating Commission has chosen wisely in its selection of Assistant Attorney General & Special Prosecutions Section Director Janise Macanas as one of the final candidates to fill Judge Charlene Barlow’s July vacancy. Judge Barlow had a distinguished career as a prosecutor in the AG’s office before her successful time on the bench. Director Macanas would be the perfect person to follow in her footsteps.

“Not only is Director Macanas one of Utah’s finest prosecutors for complex criminal cases, but she also holds a master’s degree and had doctoral studies in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. She has previously worked as a counselor, professor, social worker and therapist. Her unique work background, combined with tremendous energy and active experience in community, educational and legal outreach has propelled her into leadership positions throughout her career. I am personally proud of her work as past President of the Utah Minority Bar Association, on the Utah Bar Ethics Advisory Opinion Committee and in the prestigious role of Commissioner of the Utah State Bar. Although our office would miss Janice for her brilliance and excellent legal work, we fully support her nomination.”

# # #

Recent News