Since being named as a nominee for 2nd District judge, Weber County Attorney Mark DeCaria has been removed from the continuing investigation of bribery allegations in the state treasurer's Republican primary.
In late June, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff handed the controversial case off to DeCaria, a Democrat, and Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings, a Republican, to investigate and make recommendations.
In December, Salt Lake City Prosecutor Sim Gill, a Democrat, joined their team and, last week, filed a misdemeanor charge against former Rep. Mark Walker. In exchange, Walker committed to give sworn testimony about any other participants in the March events that occurred between Walker and recently elected State Treasurer Richard Ellis.
Earlier this month, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. named DeCaria to replace retiring Judge Parley Baldwin. He must receive Senate confirmation to get the post.
"I ceased communications with DeCaria in mid-January out of respect for him and the process he's involved in," Gill said. Rawlings confirmed that he also halted discussions with DeCaria, who agreed with that action.
"It was appropriate to discontinue my involvement," DeCaria said.
DeCaria, an Ogden native who has practiced law for 28 years -- 15 of those in the elected county attorney slot -- is scheduled to come before the five-member Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee on Feb. 18.
"There's a lot of people who have a lot of emotion on this," said Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, recently named chair of that committee. "If someone has knowledge, I want them to come in and talk."
Under former Senate President John Valentine, Buttars lost the chairmanship because of a letter in which he chastised a judge for ruling against developer Wendell Gibby, a friend of Buttars. Current Senate President Michael Waddoups reinstated Buttars last week.
Buttars said he had received several e-mails, both for and against DeCaria.
DeCaria is apt to get the vote of Sen. Jon Greiner, a Republican serving his 14th year as Ogden's police chief, and a newly named member of the Judicial Confirmation Committee.
"He's an excellent, well-anchored man who has provided tremendous service to this community," Greiner said, adding that he sees no conflict of interest in supporting DeCaria.
"I don't interact with judges as chief -- I did that when I was lower in the organization."
