Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon's office will not play a role in an employee grievance ruling levied against the DA's office by a county review board last week.

An Associated Press story in Monday's Deseret News indicated Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller could face corrective or disciplinary action by the mayor.

The issue stems from a ruling by the county's Career Service Council on Aug. 28 that former assistant district attorney Kent Morgan had established a "prima facie case of retaliation" based on his current assignment of duties — doing research and writing for other attorneys — that had previously been performed by law clerks.

It's the second grievance filed by Morgan, a veteran prosecutor, who was terminated by Miller in March, 2008 after investigators uncovered evidence linking him to the owner of an escort service who was under investigation by the DA's office.

The career board overturned the termination last April, citing insufficient evidence, and called for Morgan to be reinstated at his previous pay grade, but acknowledging cause for a demotion.

In the latest case, Morgan argued that he was assigned menial work as a payback for the first grievance.

Under the new ruling, the Career Service Council — a three-member panel appointed by the county mayor and confirmed by the council — gave Miller three months to find a new position for Morgan that is more commensurate with his experience.

Miller's office has asked for a District Court review of the decision.

According to a statement released by Corroon's office Monday evening, the county's executive office is only mandated to intervene in a complaint against another county elected official if it involves discrimination or harassment, and has not been addressed by another body. Since Morgan's grievance was unrelated to either discrimination or harassment, and was ruled on in a "quasi-judicial hearing" by the Career Service Council, no further action is statutorily required of the mayor.

e-mail: araymond@desnews.com