Her new choice: Greg Skordas, the Democratic candidate for Utah attorney general.

Meanwhile, acting Mayor Alan Dayton made an unexpected move of his own, ordering that Gerrie Shaw, Workman's "closest adviser" and the county's chief operating officer, be put on paid leave

About 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sheriff Aaron Kennard said he picked Workman up and brought her to the Salt Lake County Jail for booking. Workman submitted to a booking photo, had her fingerprints taken and was given release conditions before being released shortly before 7 p.m.

Kennard said he oversaw the process himself to "make sure she was treated with the respect due to her and her office."

Workman - who still is seeking re-election - previously had retained well-known defense attorney Ron Yengich, but switched to Skordas, a former prosecutor and chief deputy to Democratic District Attorney David Yocom.

Skordas wasted little time, scurrying to the Matheson Courthouse early Wednesday to get his new client a quick court date. Workman is scheduled to appear in 3rd District Court on Monday at 9 a.m., Skordas said.

The District Attorney's Office charged Workman on Tuesday with second- and third-degree felonies for allegedly misusing about $17,000 in taxpayer money to hire two successive bookkeepers to help her daughter at the Murray-based South Valley Boys and Girls Club.

Skordas said he believes Workman will prevail in court and "hopes" to get a trial scheduled before the Nov. 2 general election - a difficult move since current cases now are being set for trial early next year.

Skordas dismissed any potential conflict with his attorney general's race against Republican incumbent Mark Shurtleff. Skordas said despite campaigning, he still maintains a private practice.

He declined to explain why Workman swapped lawyers, other than to say: "She decided to make a change." Yengich did not return a call Wednesday for comment.

Skordas said he met with Workman on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, she hired him.

Workman's new attorney said that he believes Yocom has done a fair job handling the case. The mayor, however, has called the case "politically motivated" and accused Yocom of playing election-year politics.

"Dave handled it as straight up as he could," Skordas said.

"He's doing his job," added Jack Morgan, Skordas' partner who will assist with Workman's defense.

State Democratic Party Chairman Donald Dunn joked that Republicans must like Skordas.

"Nancy Workman and the Republican hierarchy must think Greg Skordas is a damn fine attorney to bring him in. So maybe they've decided that he'd make a fine attorney general," Dunn said.

In his second day as Salt Lake County's acting mayor, Dayton held his first extended Cabinet meeting with department and division directors. After the session, he ordered that Shaw be placed on paid leave.

Dayton wrote in a memo that, after charges were filed against Workman, "it became apparent to me that in order to effectively allow a smooth administrative transition and continue to carry forward the remaining services and policies, that it would be in the best interests of the county for this change to be made."

Shaw, a longtime Workman friend, has drawn fire previously for her $100,000-plus salary in a position with no job description. Yocom derided Shaw as Workman's "hairdresser" in a comment last December. Republicans responded by calling Yocom "sexist" and demanded an apology.

No other staff changes were announced Wednesday by the mayor's office.

Dayton explained in his memo that if not for the charges against Workman, Shaw "would have been able to continue to capably serve throughout the remainder" of the mayor's term.

He declined to expand on his memo. Shaw could not be reached for comment.

Shaw's access card to the County Government Center will be deactivated, a similar move made with Workman's access card.

tburr@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporter Matthew D. LaPlante contributed to this report.