Fearing a flood of criminal defendants will dodge paying restitution to their victims, state attorneys are appealing a federal bankruptcy judge's decision that absolved an arsonist of nearly $240,000 in debt. It is the first time a Utah judge has ruled that court-ordered criminal restitution can be erased in bankruptcy court. The March federal ruling had a ripple effect this week when a West Valley City judge relied on it to dismiss $80,000 in restitution ordered for Rebecca Mecham, a 27-year-old Kearns woman injured by a drunken driver. State attorneys believe both decisions are wrong. They have asked U.S. Bankruptcy...