Skordas won't run for D.A.

Prominent Salt Lake City defense attorney Gregory Skordas, who was rumored to be a possible Democratic Party candidate for Salt Lake County district attorney, has decided not to toss his hat into the ring.

"There are many reasons," Skordas said Saturday. "The timing just hasn't worked out at all. I'm totally ruling it out for this year, but who knows what will happen in the future?"

Among other things, Skordas' private practice as a defense lawyer is thriving and he is happy with the work.

"Things have been going very well and I'm enjoying where I am," he said.

"If I were going to run, this would be the year because it's an open seat," Skordas said, referring to the fact that Democrat David Yocom, the four-term incumbent district attorney, is retiring.

Skordas ran unsuccessfully for Utah Attorney General in 2004 and said he knows how difficult it is to unseat an incumbent, especially a Republican incumbent, in Utah.

"Next term, there would be an incumbent district attorney and most people like to serve at least two terms," Skordas said. "Effectively, I'm taking myself out of the picture for eight years."

Nonetheless, running for district attorney is still an option for the future.

"The best job I ever had was serving as chief deputy in the district attorney's office. I loved every minute of it, I loved working with police," Skordas said. "It was always my dream to go back. I learned so much."

Skordas also said he is mindful that some Democrats are unhappy that he chose to be the defense lawyer for Republican Nancy Workman, the former Salt Lake County Mayor, who was acquitted of two felony counts of misusing public funds after a lengthy and highly publicized trial.

"I think I would do very well in a general election, but I don't want to have a lot of problems within my own party because of a decision I made a year ago," he said. "It seems there are some people in the party who are not happy with me for taking on that case, and I want to do what's best for the party — and that may be to step aside."

So far, the district attorney's race has three announced candidates: Republican Kent Morgan, a prosecutor in the district attorney's office for 22 years; Republican Lohra Miller, whose law firm provides prosecutorial services to a number of Salt Lake County communities; and Democrat Sim Gill, the Salt Lake City prosecutor.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com