Pardons, parole choice moves closer to nod

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s pick for the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole is now only one step away from assuming the post after the Senate Justice Committee recommended Keith Hamilton for confirmation by the full Senate.

Hamilton, 47, was on the board from 1997 to 2003 before stepping down.

During questioning by the committee, Hamilton addressed concerns about any possible conflict of interest between the board position and his current job as an attorney representing inmates preparing to go before the board. Hamilton told the panel of senators that his clientele would only require him to recuse himself from votes by the board in about 100 cases out of the nearly 10,000 under the board's purview annually.

If he is confirmed by the Senate, Hamilton said he plans to turn his law practice into a consulting business.

"In my heart I am a public servant, I am not a businessman," Hamilton said. "I am leaving a practice that has never had better prospects for financial gain. But I am not in it for financial gain."