In short, politics as usual.

It didn't take long for partisans to lob their bombs after the jury's 8-0 decision to "vindicate" the former Salt Lake County Republican mayor.

That's the word - along with "exonerate" and "alleviate" - some Republicans used, even though many opted to drop her from the ballot last fall.

Mike Ridgeway, a former member of the Salt Lake County Republican Central Committee who backed independent candidate Merrill Cook in the mayoral race, was less satisfied.

"When has anyone been held accountable in the state?" he said of the acquittal. "It's the law that Nancy Workman can't just take county money and give it to a nonprofit [group] without going through the proper channels."

Joe Cannon, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, countered that justice was served. News media and others jumped to conclusions after the allegations of misuse of public money surfaced, he said.

"This is a clear example of why schoolchildren ought to be taught that people should be considered innocent [until proven guilty]. I'm completely convinced that she would still be mayor [if she had not been charged]."

Utah Democratic Chairman Donald Dunn said he respects the system and will move forward. But he couldn't resist a dig.

"The voice of the public was heard at election time," he said, referring to fellow Democrat Peter Corroon's victory over Ellis Ivory, the Republican's eleventh-hour ballot replacement for Workman.

After last year's scandals - including the abuse of county-vehicle perks by high-ranking county officials - there is more attention focused on how Salt Lake County government works, Dunn said.

Alan Dayton, Workman's deputy mayor who replaced her when the council put her on paid leave, said the jury was "very attentive."

"They considered the facts, and there just wasn't enough there," he said. "For her, it's vindication. It shows she didn't break the law."

Joe Hatch, a Democrat on the County Council, reluctantly agreed.

"The jury found it was the kind of mistake that was not criminal, and we have to honor that," he said.

Murmurs in the District Attorney's Office - a secretary joked that all of the deputies were out "slitting their wrists" - suggested otherwise.

"Nothing surprises me," said Deputy District Attorney John Soltis, without elaborating.

Democratic District Attorney David Yocom, who brought the charges but handed over the case to a special prosecutor, refused to speak to reporters. Instead, he released a statement: "A courageous government employee raised questions of wrongdoing involving a phantom employee in the Health Department and a subsequent investigation led to the mayor. . . . We respect the integrity of this process, the integrity of the justice system, and we accept and respect the decision of the jurors in this matter."

Corroon, who was riding in a van just minutes from Workman's Sandy home when he got word, said he's glad the ordeal is over.

"Having been an attorney, you're never surprised with the outcomes," said Corroon, adding that he didn't follow the testimony during the trial. "The situation brought new attention to open, honest, ethical government."

But even Corroon could not let the scandal lie.

"Things were already changing in that race before Mayor Workman was [charged]," he said. "A change was necessary in the administration."

Bob Dunn, executive director of the Murray-based South Valley Boys and Girls Clubs, said he respects the jury's decision.

"It's been hard on [the staff], but we're excited to move forward," he said. "Whatever way it went, it's over."

Yet, as in the run-up to the trial, many now conclude the district attorney's case against Workman was poorly disguised political gamesmanship.

"The moment they used county investigators to look at Nancy Workman, they crossed the line," Dayton said.

Dayton, who is working as a temporary legislative consultant for the county, argued that the trial should have - and could have - been concluded before the November election, allowing Workman to stay on the ballot and letting voters to judge for themselves.

The Democrats should know when they "play this mean," there are bound to be repercussions, said Tiani Coleman, Salt Lake County GOP chairwoman.

The whole episode, she said, will leave a "bitter taste."

But Dunn insisted the probe against Workman was not a partisan witch hunt.

"It was a bipartisan panel that determined the charges should go forward," he noted.

What's more, Hatch recalled, "some of the people that were saying this were the people that were comparing Yocom to Joe McCarthy."

Republican Michael Jensen, County Council chairman, said he felt Yocom had to go forward - even if it included a "thread" of partisanship.

Still, he hoped Thursday's acquittal marks the final chapter in a tumultuous time for Salt Lake County government.

"We should be able to move forward," he said, "and put all the scandals behind us."

djensen@sltrib.com;

csmart@sltrib.com