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Show WM Steps Fee By ROSELYN KIRK Sheriff William J. Lawrence said he will proceed with the necessary steps to call for a grand jury investigation inves-tigation of irregularities in Davis county government and the county school district since he feels this is the best avenue open to continuing the investigation begun by the sheriff's office. SHERIFF Lawrence said that "complaints and allegations allega-tions which are long-standing" should be investigated by the grand jury since law enforcement officers, currently looking into the complaints are not equipped to investigate white collar crimes. According to Sheriff Lawrence, a grand jury investigation is the logical way to go since such an investigation would either demonstrate that the complaints and allegations are unfounded and the issue could be put to rest, or the grand jury would hand ort indictments in those case where allegations were founded. HE SAID investigation is pending on the conflict of interest in the management and sale of hospital bonds and improprieties and manipulation manipula-tion by county and school board officials. Sheriff Lawrence said that two of the allegations under investigation investiga-tion involve County Commis- sioner Glen Flint. Commissioner Flint said ; that the incidents referred to by the sheriff's office ; dealing with alleged knowledge of the vandalism : of an opponent's political signs during the last election and the removal of gravel from the county shops "didn't happen." Commissioner Commis-sioner Flint said the sheriff's : office had investigated the gravel incident previously and had turned up nothing. Lt. Dean Egbert has conducted conduct-ed the investigation. COMMISSIONER Flint said he wouldn't say a grand jury couldn't be called, but said that, if called, the grand jury would find no irregularities. Sheriff Lawrence said he will present the list of improprieties within the next few days to Second District Judge Thornley Swan. The matter of determining whether there are enough allegations to merit calling together other District Court judges would have to be decided by Judge Swan. If called, the panel of judges would determine sufficient cause for calling for a grand jury investigation. ACCORDING to Sheriff Lawrence, the state statute requires that a grand jury hearing be held in each county every two years. Although that requirement has been met, Sheriff Lawrence said a special request for a grand jury investigation can be requested request-ed "to determine violation of the law if it is in the best interest of the county." Sheriff Lawrence said if the grand jury decided there was not sufficient cause to prove political manipulation, the matter would be laid to rest. Sheriff Lawrence said there had not been a grand jury investigation in the county for at least 15 to 20 years. He feels that when one political party is in power for that length of time an investigation is necessary. HE COMMENTED that misdemeanor charges filed recently against a former buildings and grounds director direc-tor of the Davis School District Dis-trict might result in additional addi-tional charges if a grand jury investigation were called. He said that if teachers and officials could testify before a grand jury, he feels that "some of the real problems could be exposed." In addition. addi-tion. Sheriff Lawrence said that testimony which could result from a grand jury investigation might reveal conflict of interest between banking interests in the community com-munity and members who served on the board of directors direc-tors of the two hospitals during dur-ing the sale of the bonds. "THE BEST approach in all of these allegations is to either prove or disprove them." For that purpose a grand jury should be impaneled, im-paneled, he said. Sheriff Lawrence saTd that three avenues are open to the sheriff's office when they are investigating allegations of the violation of the law. The first is to turn documents over to the Davis County Attorney's At-torney's Office. The County Attorney's Office proceeded after the investigation of school district official DeWayne Jay and asked that complaints be signed. This trial has been set for Nov. 10. The second option available to the sheriff's office in investigating allegations of violation of the law is to call for a investigation by the Attorney At-torney General's Office. Sheriff Lawrence said at this time he doesn't think this method is politically expedient. The third avenue open to the sheriff's office is to call for a grand jury' investigation. inves-tigation. SHERIFF Lawrence said the results of the request for a" grand jury investigation will "depend upon how well the case is presented. If the list of alleged improprieties is well documented and presented and is factual," he believes it will provide a base for the investigation. Commissioner Wendell Zaugg said, "Anytime any person makes allegations, they better back them up or they'll be open to slander." He expressed the opinion that the matter stems from personality per-sonality conflicts between Commissioner Flint and Sheriff Lawrence. SHERIFF Lawrence said the problem has political overtones since he is outnumbered out-numbered as only one of the two Democrats elected in the county government. The other Democrat in power is County Attorney Milton J. Hess, who was appointed to that position when Judge Duffy Palmer was appointed to a District Judgeship. Sheriff Lawrence says he is the first Democrat to be elected to a county office in Davis County in 14 years. |