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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 15, 2014 - 09:45am PT
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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,..
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Jul 15, 2014 - 09:59am PT
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No country club jail for these guys. If convicted put them in a cell with hard core rapists, murderers thieves.
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overwatch
climber
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Jul 15, 2014 - 10:05am PT
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nice pie in the sky thought...
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 15, 2014 - 10:09am PT
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Weak sauce in Chicago and Illinois. I bet they are bigwigs with the Momos, too.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jul 15, 2014 - 10:15am PT
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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.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Jul 15, 2014 - 10:17am PT
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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.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2014 - 10:21am PT
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they can do worse things to your life and livelyhood
The most lively hoods I can remember were in West Side Story.
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Mike Friedrichs
Sport climber
City of Salt
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Jul 15, 2014 - 10:29am PT
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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!
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jul 15, 2014 - 10:48am PT
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Were they LDS? They must have been.
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bobinc
Trad climber
Portland, Or
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Jul 15, 2014 - 11:05am PT
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Momos indeed think they have a whiter, brighter 'ethics' to live by.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2014 - 11:10am PT
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Shurtleff already made bail.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 15, 2014 - 11:11am PT
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Let's hope he becomes Shurtless.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 15, 2014 - 12:21pm PT
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My Father was on the UofUtah law school staff when Mark Shurtleff was a student.
My Dad didn't think much of him.
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Gerg
Trad climber
Calgary
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Jul 15, 2014 - 12:24pm PT
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Momos indeed think they have a whiter, brighter 'ethics' to live by.
Same state, different topic of corruption...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007026/
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jul 15, 2014 - 12:28pm PT
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Tammy Bruce is an idiot.
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couchmaster
climber
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Jul 15, 2014 - 12:31pm PT
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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??
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Jul 15, 2014 - 12:38pm PT
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It's usually a supertopo bonus when writing critiques get offered pro bono...
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 15, 2014 - 01:09pm PT
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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?
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jul 15, 2014 - 01:21pm PT
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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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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Jul 15, 2014 - 02:23pm PT
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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 story only goes to show that:
1) Attorney's General are not always good guys looking out for the American Public... And in some instances they can be downright criminal. So, I don't, and we as a culture shouldn't, automatically give respect until they have proven that you are not one of these types... (this should not in any way give the impression that I think I will ever come in contact with an Attorney General for any meaningful reason)
2) Attorney's general from Utah are a particularly corrupt bunch. After all, we are supposed to believe this is God's country. There is just an added element of "wholesome goodness" being from the Beehive State... Because as we all now mormons are better humans that the rest seeing how they believe in one of the newer religious dogmas that have been invented...
3) Bad people who have access to powerful positions in the community should not garner automatic respect or trust. After all, they are human being and just as foul-able as me, you or anyone. So, it would be a better idea to monitor the powerful, no matter how few peoples lives are touched by them.
Monitor, monitor, monitor. When everyone knows what's going on, everyone knows to trust it. When everyone knows that monitoring continues fewer and fewer try to beat the system, like these f*#ks have done.
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Jul 15, 2014 - 03:16pm PT
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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.
Yeah, I grew up in IL but I've lived here for 15+ yrs now. I'll take the crooks in IL any day. At least they come in 2 flavors there and don't make a second career out of telling everyone how great they are.
My only regret was not seeing herby doing the perp walk this morning. Maybe tomorrow?
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Aurora Colorado
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Jul 15, 2014 - 06:13pm PT
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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.
I was going into a courthouse in Florida dressed in a business suit and had to show the guards my ID to get in. The guard said "Colorado? Do you have any marijuana?" I made some comment about it being amazing that the actual state constitution guarantees Coloradans their right to marijuana. He was just joking but ... it's quite a different matter to make a joke in return. What I should have done is told him to stop by sometime and I could hook him up with as much weed as he needed. Well, on the other hand I didn't want to get arrested at that particular moment.
Now I'm scared to go to Utah with my old van with rock climbing stickers on it. I'll get pulled over and shaken down for money and apparently it goes right to the top.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Jul 15, 2014 - 07:29pm PT
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Cosmic could rain some hellacious cosmology...
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jul 15, 2014 - 08:13pm PT
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Similar to the Governors of Illinois? Selling the vacant seat of Barack Obama to the highest bidder?
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couchmaster
climber
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Jul 15, 2014 - 08:46pm PT
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Indeed Brokedown, Wiki says Rod Blagojevich was the 7th Illinois governor arrested or indicted. 7th! He got 14 years in jail for trying to sell Obamas Senate seat, amongst other things. 15 other people were swept up in that baloney. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich_corruption_charges
Not to leave any impression that the President was involved, when asked about the Blagojevich craziness, Obama called for Blagojevich's resignation."
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Jul 16, 2014 - 11:17am PT
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I understand that the Attorney Generals' job is one of the stepping stones to the State governorship and in big electoral college vote states like California and New York that can lead to the Executive Mansion in Washington, D.C. An Attorney General, therefore, must have a lot of opportunities to "get dirty".
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Jul 30, 2014 - 12:24pm PT
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Swallow kept his mouth shut.
Good thing Elliot Spitz is not involved in this, his mouth would be open
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| Messages 1 - 31 of total 31 in this topic |
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