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Show V-' Scene VISITOR GUIDE Sports j A J. Croce to play at the Egyptian Theatre Friday. page c - 1 Winter Trails Day feature showshoeing, Nordic ski walking. Paae B-1 T here will be a sneak peak of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival documentary "Shake Han,ds with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire" tonight at the Jim Sanly Auditorium, 1255 Park Ave. The showing is part of the documentary competition. The free screening will be at 7 p.m. 500 Serving Summit County since 1880 CUMP UTAH 15£:i 3900 s a u n t LfAKt CITY UT VOL. I24-NO.95 Wed/Thurs/Fri, January 5-7, 2005 Adkins expects bench confirmation Ahead of the pack Locals get first dibs at Sundance After 30 years, Coalville resident would resign as county attorney Rim festival box office opens to Utah residents this weekend By PATRICK PARKINSON Of the Record staff Summit County Democrats are waiting for County Attorney Robert Adkins' confirmation as a judge before searching for his replacement. Gov. Olene Walker made her last judicial appointment Friday, nominating Adkins to replace retiring Third District Court Judge Frank Noel. State senators must still confirm Adkins but the 58-year-old Coalville resident isn't aware of the Senate ever vetoing a governor's judicial nomination. The Third District includes courts in Summit, Salt Lake and Tooele counties. "I don't think politics plays a part in it," said Adkins, a Democrat, who has been county attorney for more than 30 years. "The process is non-partisan." Since 1974, when he defeated incumbent Summit County Attorney Alan Frandsen, Adkins has won eight elections. The office wasn't contested in 2002. "The one thing that IVe learned is the office of the county attorney has a tremendous amount of authority and responsibility and you need to use that wisely," Adkins said. "Our decision really affects the lives of people." If confirmed, Adkins expects to resign as county attorney in February but has no expectations of where he will be assigned to the bench. "I've been prosecuting out here for a number of years and there would be certainly some conflicts because of that," Adkins said, adding that Bruce Lubeck, a former Third District Court judge in Summit County and current Judge Dcno Himonas were stationed at Silver Summit early in their judicial careers. "That would present a problem for me initially at least." The University of Utah law graduate will continue to reside in Coalville, where he has maintained a private practice during his tenure as county attorney. "When I started it was not a position that required 100 percent of your time," Adkins said, adding that the number of private clients he represents has decreased. "I will help people with uncontested matters. I try to avoid litigation." But since clerking for a judge in the Third District in law school he has desired a seat on the bench and has been turned down four times. "This will be a good experience for me and I'm looking forward to it," Adkins said. He has prosecuted 18 homicides as county attorney, but the murder of a woman at Parley's Summit, the slaying of a Utah Highway Patrol trooper in Echo Canyon in the 1970s and the murder of a pregnant woman by her boyfriend at Rockport Reservoir in the early '90s stand out. The county has grown from a population of roughly 8,000 when he was first elected to nearly 34,000 today, Adkins adds. Avoiding conflicts of interest while practicing law and prosecuting criminals in a rural area is difficult, he said. "You have to be careful not to represent anyone that may be a conflict," Adkins said. The Summit County Democratic Party is waiting for Adkins to resign before accepting applications from potential successors. "Once he docs hand his resignation in we can begin to do a search for three candidates to present to the County Commission," said Laura Bonham, secretary of the local party, adding that party brass will provide commissioners three names. She is pleased with Adkins' nomination considering instances where partisan politics have tainted past judicial confirmations, Bonham adds. "As we know it often times is a part of it. This is one of those instances where it wasn't a part of it and that's a good thing," she said, "We'll wait to see if in fact the appointment holds up." A Democratic attorney in the county is a "political benefit" for the party, Bonham said. "We have quite a number of attorneys at all levPlease s e e Adkins, A-2 3 SECTIONS • 48 PAGES Agendas Automotive Business Classifieds Columns Crossword Editorial Education Events Calendar Letters to the Editor Legals Movies Professional Services Restaurant Guide Sports TV Listings Weather A-8 C-16 A-9 C-11 A-14 C-4 A-15 B-9 C-2 A-15 C-17 C-4 B-11 C-7 B-1 C-10 B-2 ^ParkRecoixL Serving Summit County since 1880 ivww.parkrecord.com By MATT JAMES Of the Record staff GRAYSON WEST/PARK Please see Parkites, A-2 Committee named to study government change City resident Eric Easterly, a study committee member. Easterly was also part of the appointment committee, which after a 90-rninutc closed session Monday at the Summit County Courthouse in Coalville, decided on seven members. By PATRICK PARKINSON "I wouldn't say there was any confrontation," Kamas Of the Record staff Mayor Lew Marchanl said Tuesday about the appointAn initial decision about whether the form of gov- ment committee's selections. Marchant served on that ernment jn Summit County should change now rests committee but was barred from a spot on the study committee because of his political affiliation. with seven residents. He chaired a committee in the 1990s that studied They intend to start by identifying different ways state laws allow counties to be governed. The current changing the form of government and recommended three-member Summit County Commission could the commission be left alone. "There ought to be a real careful look at it before we expand to five or seven representatives. Instead of the county aMarge electing commissioners they could be change it," he said, adding that he will caution those voted in by smaller districts on the East and West sides. studying the issue during public hearings about expandOr the committee could recommend the commission ing the board. Between seven and 11 people could be named to the be dissolved, and replaced by a county council, with an study committee and 20 applied for spots, said David elected mayor or appointed manager. Thomas, Summit County deputy county attorney. "I certainly haven't made up my mind," said Park Deliberations were closed to the media and Thomas County won't disclose names of 13 people who didn't get nod refused Tuesday to release the applicants' names. "But now that the members are picked, everything else is going to be fairly transparent," Thomas said. Easterly didn't want some residents to have an opportunity to criticize the committee s selections. "People sometimes look for reasons to inject divisiveness," he adds. Woodland resident Tom Clyde, who participated in the appointments, countered that the names of all applicants should be made public. "Anybody who's on that list ought to be proud to be there," Clyde said Monday, adding that committee members were divided about one candidate. "One that a couple of us are trying to think of a way to not appoint without causing great offense." Other study committee members appointed Monday, include. South Summit resident H.G. Linford, North Summit resident Michael Crittenden, Coalville resident Chris Boyer and westsiders, Diane Murphy, Please see Seven, A-2 Bussmann A brush with nature case is settled Attorneys mum about terms of deal ending lawsuit from 2003 By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff Attorneys last week settled a $1 million lawsuit stemming from a drunken-driving accident that left a Brazilian woman permanently disabled, the two sides said on Monday. Neither the lawyer for the family of Ana Bussmann nor defense attorneys would discuss terms of the settlement, [which was reached during an approximately four-hour mediation session at the defense attorney's office oniDec. 29. The Bussmann family had sought $1 million in the 2003 lawsuit, which named Dilecta, Inc., the Phoenix Gallery and 10 unnamed individuals as defendants. The lawsuit alleged that Dilecta was responsible for Matthew, Nielson's drunkenness while he was at private party in the rented space of the Phoenix Gallery during tne 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Bussmann was 23 years old when Nielson struck her on Bonanza Drive after he left the party. She was walking alongside the road when Nielson failed to navigate a curve. He is serving up to five years in state prison for the accident. 1 8 "34937 00001 RECORD Sam Davis of Layton leads a pack of mini-snowmobilers Saturday at Gorgoza Park. The park offers a variety of activities for kids, including tubing. This weekend, the Sundance Institute will hold its annual local ticket sales for Sundance Film Festival films at the Gateway Center in downtown Park City and Trolley Square in Salt Lake City. The Institute will begin handing out line numbers for the ticket sales at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8. Once a person has a line number, he or she may leave the line. That line number will give a person the opportunity to buy tickets at a specific service time. Tickets will go on sale to the first line number at 9 a.m. Tickets for all venues - in Park City. Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance Village - will be available at both locations. "We're part of the Park City community, and we're committed to providing access to the shows for Park City residents," said Sundance Institute spokesman Patrick Hubiey. As usual, Utah locals will get the first shot at single-show screening tickets at the sale, noted Hubiey. To ensure the tickets actually to go locals, prospective ticket buyers should bring a Utah drivers license or some other proof of Utah residence to the line. Even with the restrictions, the local ticket line has been a popular attraction in the past. "We always have a really strong turn-out," said Hubiey. Every year, the line traditionally starts in the Gateway Center the night before. People bring sleeping bags, tents, chairs and bther luxuries to make an event of the line, spending the night to wait and pick up line numbers in the morning. Many participate in the ticket line every year, honing an equipment list and routine to maximize their comfort and chances of getting good tickets. Some even have friends they meet every year in the line. Every year there is undoubtedly a friendly, social atmosphere among those waiting for a chance to see a film. This year, to satiate the cinemaphiles piling into the state, Hubiey said the Film Festival will have , Please see Ana, A-2 GRAYSON WESTVPARKRECORD A parking officer dusts off one of the parking meters on Main Street. Recent snows have rejuvenated the resorts, with more snow in the forecast. |