A ransomware attack on the Arizona Federal Public Defender’s Office has disrupted legal proceedings
in the case of Ralph Menzies, a death row inmate in Utah, by interfering with his mental competency hearing. The hearing was intended to determine whether Menzies is mentally fit to face execution.
According to local reports, defense attorneys requested additional time from the court after the cyberattack erased their access to critical case files. The office reportedly lost a nearly completed 25-page draft of the reply brief they were preparing. The systems were shut down as a precaution, and staff were barred from using personal devices for work due to security concerns.
Menzies was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Maurine Hunsaker in 1986 and has been on death row since 1988. His legal team argues that he is mentally unfit for execution, citing signs of dementia and cognitive decline. The State, which did not oppose the defense’s request for an extension, agreed to share discovery materials and exhibits to help the defense rebuild their case.
Judge Mathew Bates extended the filing deadline for the reply brief to April 18th, with competency hearing arguments now postponed until May 7th. Meanwhile, it remains uncertain whether any of the lost data can be recovered, as the IT team continues to evaluate the damage caused by the cyberattack.
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