Attorneys General Arrested!

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Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 15, 2014 - 09:45am PT
The two previous Attorneys General of Utah, Mark Shurtleff and John Swallow, were arrested at their homes this morning and charged with a laundry list of corruption offenses that include taking bribes, evidence tampering, making false statements, absconding with public monies, and more. The charges include felonies for both men who are being held on a quarter million dollar bond each.

This is remarkable. The two previous highest law enforcement officers of the state arrested simultaneously!
Has anybody ever heard of this happening in any other state?

What strikes me as even more interesting is that at the press conference this morning SLC County Attorney, Sim Gill, took an obvious shot at the Department of Justice for having dragged their feet and not arresting them, leaving it up to his department to spend over $4M on a long and diligent investigation before they themselves arrested their previous bosses.

People who come to Utah to climb probably don't give a crap, but I have heard that since legalization of pot in Colorado pulling over tourists with Colorado plates in San Juan County has become a profitable growth industry.
What hypocrisy!

Should be interesting to see how this plays out.
I've never purchased programming on pay-per-view, but would do so, after the two were convicted, to see them released into the yard at the state prison surrounded by people they put there. Heh heh.

Yeah, I know, protective custody, but it would be therapeutic,..
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Jul 15, 2014 - 09:59am PT
No country club jail for these guys. If convicted put them in a cell with hard core rapists, murderers thieves.
overwatch

climber
Jul 15, 2014 - 10:05am PT
nice pie in the sky thought...
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Jul 15, 2014 - 10:09am PT
Weak sauce in Chicago and Illinois. I bet they are bigwigs with the Momos, too.
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Jul 15, 2014 - 10:15am PT
It amazes me that so many people believe that DAs are on the good guy team.

Or police for that matter.

People in these positions have the power. They are potentially much more dangerous than the average criminal. Remember that anytime you have to deal with them. They are a necessary danger but always a potential nightmare if you get to close. They might not take your stereo or TV or beat you up (maybe they will actually).. but they can do worse things to your life and livelihood. Even when you've done nothing wrong.

I consider the whole Justice system basically the way I consider the Khumbu Icefall. Something to be avoided if possible and very dangerous if you cannot.
stevep

Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
Jul 15, 2014 - 10:17am PT
Same old, same old. Connected folks within the Utah GOP and LDS church doing favors for each. These two certainly weren't the first and won't be the last.
And yes, stuff like this goes on everywhere, but as Ron says, pretty remarkable that it is the last two AGs. You'd think they would have a better understanding of the potential consequences of their actions.
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2014 - 10:21am PT
they can do worse things to your life and livelyhood

The most lively hoods I can remember were in West Side Story.
Mike Friedrichs

Sport climber
City of Salt
Jul 15, 2014 - 10:29am PT
When I heard this this morning I was amazed at how gleeful I felt. It took years and years and many articles in the local newspaper for all this to happen. But it did finally show that even a white, male, republican in Utah who commits dozens of felonies may eventually get charged with 11 of them. Good work Sim Gill!
Bruce Morris

Social climber
Belmont, California
Jul 15, 2014 - 10:48am PT
Were they LDS? They must have been.
bobinc

Trad climber
Portland, Or
Jul 15, 2014 - 11:05am PT
Momos indeed think they have a whiter, brighter 'ethics' to live by.
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2014 - 11:10am PT
Shurtleff already made bail.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Jul 15, 2014 - 11:11am PT
Let's hope he becomes Shurtless.
couchmaster

climber
Jul 15, 2014 - 12:17pm PT
Holy Teapot Dome scandal Batman! I've never heard of such a thing Ron. They routinely seem to sweep up politicians in Ill, the place has been crooked as hell since Al Capones days. But folks from Utah are generally known for honesty.

Someone should clue Tammy Bruce into this, she thinks only Liberals (democrats) are crooks and lists a bunch of recent ones. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/27/bruce-the-natural-match-of-liberalism-and-corrupti/?page=all

Whereas we know that's not true. Cough Richard Nixon cough...Spiro Agnew cough cough**

Wiki has a list going if someone wants to tabulate R vs D. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_state_and_local_politicians_convicted_of_crimes

Interesting that Utah isn't even listed on the recent lists, and this at least gets them on the board.
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Jul 15, 2014 - 12:21pm PT
My Father was on the UofUtah law school staff when Mark Shurtleff was a student.
My Dad didn't think much of him.
Gerg

Trad climber
Calgary
Jul 15, 2014 - 12:24pm PT
Momos indeed think they have a whiter, brighter 'ethics' to live by.

Same state, different topic of corruption...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007026/

Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Jul 15, 2014 - 12:28pm PT
Tammy Bruce is an idiot.
couchmaster

climber
Jul 15, 2014 - 12:31pm PT
But her writing is much better than yours Brandon. She actually lists stats and facts where as your post could have been written by a 2nd grader.

ie, your complete quote:
"Tammy Bruce is an idiot."

Unless you meant to say "Tammy Bruce is an idiot because x,y, and z...." and then accidentally hit "post".

Want to put some additional facts on it so that the rest of us can see what you think you believe??
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Jul 15, 2014 - 12:38pm PT
It's usually a supertopo bonus when writing critiques get offered pro bono...
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Jul 15, 2014 - 01:09pm PT
But folks from Utah are generally known for honesty.
That's a nice assumption, not necessarily a semblance of truth.

I went to an upper middle class, largely Mormon public high school with a fellow whose father owned a big car dealership. The dad and the county sheriff both went to state penitentiary for bribery. Apparently not just good business that all the sheriff's cars had come from the same dealership for a decade.

Another kid has become a nationally notorious FLDS polygamist, 5 years in the state pen for child rape.
Not to mention Karl Rove who entered my school the year after I left.

Mormons are a cross section of the human population just like the rest of us. Otherwise, why would they need a Hell in their cosmology?
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
Jul 15, 2014 - 01:21pm PT
It amazes me that so many people believe that DAs are on the good guy team.

The DA is supposed to be on the side of justice. It disillusioned me terribly when I found out many DA's are on the side of winning, and justify cheating to do so.

We're all human -- meaning we're all broken people to some extent -- but the pressure we put on DA's to win cases rather than to do justice means we can look in the mirror for some of the blame.

I hope justice prevails in these two cases. The danger to the system of justice from corrupt prosecutors is almost as great as that from corrupt judges.

John
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