R. Paul Van Dam (born October 15, 1937) is an American politician and lawyer in the state of Utah. He studied at East High School and graduated in 1955. Paul and his wife Mary Bailey were the fifth generation of Utah. He served as Attorney General of Utah from 1989 to 1993, as a Democrat. He attended Utah University and former district attorney of Salt Lake County.
Under the leadership of Van Dam District Attorney, the Salt Lake County DA office is the first jurisdiction to prosecute serial killer Ted Bundy, who later gains confidence.
Before serving as DA, there was a separate organization for district attorneys and district attorneys. As DA, he oversaw a major reorganization to combine the two.
In 1988, he ran for the Utah Attorney General for believing that the office was underfunded and too small for the job. He was able to get the legislature to raise the budget, allowing him to hire qualified lawyers and update computer systems that make case handling faster and more effective. Ã, He is a Democrat AG who works with the Republican legislature.
Cold fusion at the University of Utah was a big problem early in his tenure as AG. The state must do whatever it can to protect the rights and interests of the university in the cold fusion process. Cold fusion eventually became a losing issue for the university but great effort was required by AG's office.
An anti-trust lawsuit involving the University of Utah and medical services for children is another major case during his tenure. Universities have been warned not to combine with businesses that provide the same services but still do so, making them the only provider. He pursued action against the university, causing the university wrath. The case ran to his replacement term for completion.
The problem of abortion near the end of his tenure proved very challenging when the state wanted to pass an anti abortion law. He told them that the law was unconstitutional. Since he's a Democrat, many do not want him involved. The state wants to challenge the issue of abortion, but AG Van Dam believes it will be a waste of the state dollar when the law of the law indicates they will lose. The state hires outside companies but ultimately fails in their efforts to state.
During his tenure as AG he served as chair of the anti-trust committee of the National Association of Attorneys General.
Van Dam does not run for a second term. In 2004 he ran for US Senator against Senator Robert Bennett that issues need to be addressed like health care.
A quote from Utah Deseret News gives the philosophy of its public service:
"Throughout my life, including my ministry as the attorney general, I have worked with people from both sides to solve problems and represent the Utah people I will build the same dynamics in the Senate, where the needs and concerns of the people, Utah people will always be my priority. "
Personal Life
Van Dam was born on October 15, 1937 from Richard Warren Van Dam and Geraldine (Gerry) Slade Van Dam. He grew up in Salt Lake City and pursued music from an early age with his mother's encouragement after his father bought him a guitar. She appeared in many groups during her music career and continued with music during her retirement at Ivins, Utah where she performed at Southern Utah Veterans Home and at a fundraiser.
He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for many things in his life. In 1957 he was summoned to the mission for the Mormon Church in the Netherlands. There he witnessed how people live in an "eco-friendly" way and with great acceptance of different lifestyles, affecting his life philosophy ever since. Later, he resigned from the church.
During Paul's early years, he worked as an ironworker, following in his father's footsteps. The work teaches Paul's lessons: the value of the job, how difficult it is, and that he does not want to get old doing it. Serving as a court reporter in the JAG unit during the military service captured his interest and caused his desire to attend law school.
Paul married Mary Lynne Palmer from Farmington, New Mexico in 1964. They divorced in 1982. They have two children, Michael Andrew and Julie Elizabeth. He has one grandson, Carson Janke. Paul retired in 1999. In 2004, Paul married Mary Dawn Bailey, who had three children from a previous marriage. Mary Dawn died in March 2007 after an 18-month fight with brain cancer.
After Mary Dawn's death, Paul's retirement took him to Southern Utah where he was involved in conservation issues that revolved around water and public land issues. He served as the Executive Director of Citizens for the Future of Dixie (later renamed Conserve Southwest Utah), from 2008 to 2010, ran for Washington State Commissioner in 2014 on a "conservation" platform in a very conservative area of ​​Utah, and was called at various times to testify to Congress on this issue.
In 2008 when he became Executive Director of the CDF, he met board member Lisa Abel Rutherford. They spend their retirement years in conservation battles and enjoy their retirement years with their music.
Video Paul Van Dam
References
Maps Paul Van Dam
External links
Biography
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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