Ransomware Attack on Arizona Public Defender's Office Disrupts Utah Death Penalty Case
A ransomware attack targeting the Arizona Federal Public Defender’s Office has disrupted legal proceedings in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the federal appeal of death row inmate Ralph Menzies. Defense attorneys lost access to case files, including a nearly completed 25-page reply brief addressing Menzies’ mental competency. The office requested—and was granted—an extension from District Judge Matthew Bates, delaying the filing deadline to May 7. Menzies was convicted in 1986 of kidnapping and murdering Maurine Hunsaker and has been on Utah’s death row for nearly four decades.
Though the case stems from a Utah state conviction, the Arizona office is involved due to the structure of the Federal Public Defender system. The Arizona Federal Public Defender’s Office is part of the Tenth Circuit, which encompasses several states, including Utah, and handles federal habeas corpus proceedings like Menzies’ appeal. Following the cyberattack, the office shut down internal systems and barred the use of personal devices, citing security concerns. The State has provided access to discovery files to assist the defense in reconstructing their brief, which will respond to arguments about Menzies’ competency for execution under federal constitutional standards.