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Letter: Calling on Gill to resign not GOP chairman's prerogative

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2014, file photo, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill speaks to reporters during a news conference in Salt Lake City. Gill has filed misdemeanor assault charges against two Wyoming men accused of attacking two Salt Lake City men because they were gay. Gill says Utah's broadly-worded hate crimes law is too difficult to apply and includes no LGBT protections, preventing him from pursing tougher charges in the 2014 attack. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2014, file photo, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill speaks to reporters during a news conference in Salt Lake City. Gill has filed misdemeanor assault charges against two Wyoming men accused of attacking two Salt Lake City men because they were gay. Gill says Utah's broadly-worded hate crimes law is too difficult to apply and includes no LGBT protections, preventing him from pursing tougher charges in the 2014 attack. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

By  Steve Bartlett | The Public Forum
 | Nov. 8, 2017, 7:40 a.m.

I see from the news that the Salt Lake County GOP chairman wants Democrat DA Sim Gill to resign because he does not think that Gill did a good job on his investigation of County Recorder Gary Ott.

I grew up as a Republican — because my dad said we were Republicans — until I got an education and decided I could think for myself to differentiate political bull$#it. Having worked in the DA’s office for over 28 years and under five different elected DAs of both parties, I bristle when someone like Jake Parkinson wants someone to resign because they don’t agree with what the elected DA does.

I have experienced both good and bad DAs, but I can say that it is not the prerogative of someone like Parkinson to make such a demand when his legal background probably consists of reading Perry Mason novels and his investigative expertise consists of watching Miami Vice reruns.

Just sayin’.

Steve Bartlett, Cottonwood Heights

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By Steve Bartlett | The Public Forum