GOP 'poking' at Yocom

Republican lawmakers won't have Democratic Salt Lake County District Attorney David Yocom to kick around after this year. So, they appear to be getting in some final shots while they still can.

Yocom is not seeking re-election and is eager to step out of the controversial position, which has been the center of some heated political squabbles.

But before he goes, Republican lawmakers are taking a couple of final jabs in the form of two bills aimed at challenging his authority. The proposals, known on the hill as the "poke 'em Yocom" bills, would reduce the county attorney's power to prosecute the public officials he represents, as well as take away his role as adviser to the County Council.

"This is just another attempt by the (Salt Lake County) Republican Party to embarrass me," Yocom told the Deseret Morning News.

County Republicans aren't denying they are behind the measures.

Indeed, SB266, which would limit the county attorney's prosecutorial powers in going after public officials he represents, is the brainchild of Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman James Evans, who is pushing it in response to what he called a political persecution against former Mayor Nancy Workman, a Republican. She dropped out of her re-election bid amid criminal charges of misusing county funds and was later acquitted.

"Yocom has misused his office in a political way," Evans said. "It's because of Yocom that I'm pushing this bill. Yocom has not done justice to the standards that county attorneys should hold themselves to. When he wants to go after somebody, he does. He doesn't care about public appearance."

Another person behind the move to limit the Salt Lake County district attorney's powers is considering running for the position herself. Lohra Miller, a Republican prosecutor for Taylorsville, Holladay and Cottonwood Heights, helped research and craft SB266.

Language for the bill has not yet been released, and the bill's sponsor, Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, said he hasn't even seen the bill. However, Evans said SB266 would give public officials a chance to go before a judge if they think a county attorney has a conflict of interest in prosecuting a case.

Evans said although Yocom is the "poster boy" for abusing prosecutorial power, the bill is intended to stop any county attorney from going on a power trip.

"It's not just Yocom, it's a human thing. When people have this much power and it goes unchecked, it causes problems."