David L. Wilkinson

American politician (1936–2022)

David L. Wilkinson

16th Attorney General of Utah
In office January 5, 1981 – January 2, 1989
Governor	Scott M. Matheson Norman H. Bangerter
Preceded by	Robert B. Hansen
Succeeded by	Paul Van Dam

Personal details
Born	David Lawrence Wilkinson (1936-12-06)December 6, 1936 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	December 10, 2022(2022-12-10) (aged 86) Provo, Utah, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Tricia Thomas
Children	4
Parent(s)	Ernest Leroy Wilkinson Alice Ludlow Wilkinson
Education	Brigham Young University Oxford University University of California, Berkeley
Profession	Politician, lawyer

David Lawrence Wilkinson (December 6, 1936 – December 10, 2022) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th Attorney General of Utah from 1981 to 1989 as a Republican.^[1]

Early life and education

Wilkinson was born in Washington, D.C., on December 6, 1936, to Ernest Leroy and Alice Ludlow Wilkinson.^[2] Wilkinson's family moved to Provo, Utah, when his father became president of Brigham Young University.

Wilkinson obtained degrees from Brigham Young University, Oxford University, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Career

Prior to entering politics, Wilkinson practiced law in California, Utah, and Washington, D.C.

In 1980, Wilkinson ran for Attorney General of Utah as a Republican, defeating incumbent Robert B. Hansen in the primary. Wilkinson won the general election in 1980 and re-election in 1984, defeating Park City attorney Joe Tesch. He served as the 16th Attorney General of Utah from 1981 to 1989.

Utah Cable Television Programming Decency Act

In 1983, during Wilkinson's time in office, the Utah State Legislature passed a controversial measure known as the Utah Cable Television Programming Decency Act, which limited the airing of R-rated movies to seven hours a day, between midnight and 7:00 a.m. Though Wilkinson spent up to $2 million defending the measure, the law was prevented from ever being enforced, and in 1987, by a 7-2 ruling, the law was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court due to being a violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Following the Supreme Court's decision, Wilkinson voiced his disapproval of the verdict, stating, "While I regret the court's decision today, I do not regret my decision to pursue this matter to its ultimate resolution." Wilkinson also suggested that there would be another attempt to enforce the measure following changes to the Supreme Court.

Wilkinson ran for a third term as Attorney General in 1988, though his use of taxpayer money for his cable television feud resulted in an unsuccessful bid, as Wilkinson was defeated by Democrat Paul Van Dam in the general election by roughly 28,000 votes.^[3]

Personal life and death

Wilkinson was married and had four children.

Wilkinson died in his sleep at his home in Provo on December 10, 2022, just four days after he had turned 86 years old.^[4]

References

^ "Wilkinson to Willand". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
^ "David Wilkinson Obituary". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
^ Delporto, Brett (June 21, 1988). "A 3-WAY RACE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL". Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
^ Pierce, Scott D. (December 19, 2022). "Former Utah attorney general who lost fight for cable TV 'decency' dies at 86". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 23, 2023.