Ex-official won't face a trespassing trial

Sandy city has dismissed a trespassing charge against former Republican Party official Michael Ridgway.

According to a Sandy City Justice Court clerk, the city this week filed a motion to dismiss the charge. The case had been scheduled to go to a bench trial next week.

Ridgway was removed from a Salt Lake County GOP executive board meeting last March after police were called.

At the time, Ridgway was under court order to not be within 25 feet of Mark Towner or his wife, Carrie, who had filed an injunction against Ridgway, claiming he was stalking them. Mark Towner was attending the executive board meeting.

That stalking injunction has been appealed and is being considered by the Utah Supreme Court. Ridgway claims the injunction violated his rights by preventing him from attending Republican functions.