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Show The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH Saturday, May 2, 1998 Did Judge’s Friend Get Special Treatment? Criminal-justice officials denyforgery suspect was reieased becauseofrelationship with Leslie Lewis BY BRIAN MAFFLY © 1898, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE know about it,” Totland said in a telephone "T knew nothing about ‘The day before he was to depart on @ vaca- tion to New Orleans, Gregory Gary Totland was caught with an alleged ferged prescrip- tion at a Salt Lake City pharmacy Withina few hours of his arrest on Tuesday, criminal-justice officials freed him from jail. He was not required to bond and hehad offi- totally inappropriate.” dudge Lesiie Lowis cials’ permission to leave the state the next day, serrlie @ pending court date for a prior 8rd District Court aera arrest. Officials say they wish they knew about Totland's court date before they cut him loose. But they deny his prompt exit frojail had anything to do with his personal ties to his travel companion, Judge Leslie Lewis. Offi- cialsat Pretrial Services say, however, that he had used the judge’s nameas a reference. The Salt Lake City jurist, the presiding judge of Utah's busy 3rd Judicial District, left Wednesday with a group of friends for New Orieans where a world jazz festival is under way. She denied any knowledgecfherfriend’s troubles with the law. “IL knew nothing aboutthis,” Lewis said Friday, vowing that she made no efforts on Totjand’s behalf. “I spent my wholelife building a reputation, I haven't done anything wrong . Obviously for my name to be used would be totally inappropriate.” Totland, 40, is now wanted on a $1,500 bench warrant for failing to be in Salt Lake City court Thursday on the prior shoplifting charge, according to court records. He is a film teacher at Salt Lake Community College. On Monday, Totland appearedat the pharmacy counter of Aibertson’s grocery store, 200 South and 400 East. Using the name “Doyle,” he presented a preseription for 90 tablets of the painkiller Lortab, according to a police report. The pharmacist called the prescribing physician to confirm the prescription. But the doctor informed her it was forged andto call police when the manreturned to pick up the pT spent my whele life building a reputation. I haven’t done anything wrong. . . Qbviously for my name to be used would be pilis, the reportstates, Salt Lake City police were summoned when Totiand appeared the next afteruoon. An officer purportedly observed Totland pay $49 for thepills, then arrested him as he walked away. Lortab, which produces a sense of euphoria when taken in excessive amounts, is among the most commonly abused prescriptions medications in Utah. Police booked Totland into jail at 3 p.m. on suspicion of forgery and possession of a forged prescription. Both are felony offenses, but charges have yeito be formallyfiled. As an uncharged suspect in a low-level of- fense, Totiand was entitled to be considered for release from Salt Lake County's crowded jail, without posting bond. Pretrial Servicesis the county agency that screens suspects for release and supervises them while they are free. ‘Three pretrial managers said they knew of Totland’s connection to the judge, but he received no preferential treatment. interview from New Orleans. Arrestees whe posenothreat and are a minimalflight risk routinely are released to make room in the jail for more serious offenders. Pretrial Services assesses worthiness for re- lease by examining prior offenses,ties to the community and past performance cn pretrial release. Totland “clearly met our basic criteria,” said agency chief Mike Petersen. But Totiand wanted morethana get-out-ofjail-free card. He neededto leave thestate, a privilege most pretrial defendants are denied. Exceptions are madefor out-of-state residents or arrestees who had prior travel plans, ac- cording to Petersen. Officials said Pretrial Services went along with Totland’s travel request only with an OK from Salt Lake County prosecutors and 3rd District Judge Sheila McCleve, the on-call judge responsible last week for authorizing early releases. But Walter “Bud” Eliett, the county’s chief deputy district attorney, said he had no knowledge of Totland’s release. McCleve did not return a phone messageFriday. “They [pretrial staff] paid extra attention so that there woutdn’t be any conflict,” said Dennis Hunter, a pretrial program manager. “From our point of view, he didn’t get special treatment.” By 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Totland was free and the next day he boarded a plane for New Orleans. He has placed regularcalls to pretrial supervisors. However, Totland was supposed to appear in 3rd District Court for arraign- “He used [Lewis] as a reference but that did not impact on the decisicn to release him,” said Chris Kirkman, a pretrial screening su- ment Thursday on an April 1 shoplifting arrest. When he failed to show, Judge L.A. pervisor. Totlandsaid he did not know about his obligation to appearin court, thoughrecords indi- Totland, however, denied using the judge as a reference. Her name did comeupin his discussion with pretrial screeners and he called the judge’s chambers from jail but did not speak with anyone,he said. “The bottom line is Leslie Lewis did not Dever issued a warrantforhis arrest. cate the date was scheduled on April 16. “I knew about the charge, but I was never along the Wasatch Front. State water andlocal irrigation officials say the area has become a giant collector for construction runoff and other pollutants. Division of Water Quality ae resentatives who examined th watershed this week have io ciared it one of Utah's most polluted. HobbsReservoir is located near the junction of State Road 193 and U.S. 89, it feeds Kays Creek, which runs through Layton and unincorporated Davis Countyinto the Great Salt Lake. Although developers throughout the state mustapply for storm. water permits — complete with a pollution prevention plan — state environmental scientist Tom Rushing said a large amount of silt and sediments, petrochemi- lems. The state obtained necessary struction still seeped dewn, pared during storms, Arnold eed then, the Department of Transportation agreed to put in more drainage and planted vegetation to curb erosion. Now, though, water runoff from the highway brings with it ous residential subdivisions have popped up, adding to the prob- Dirt, silt and other sediments falling ino the reservoir could eventually fill up the reservoir, cleg irrigation systems and damage crops, he said. Developers of the Apple Village Assisted Living Center under closely monitoring Kays Creek and requiring modifications with some permits to try to stop the available to you now throughthe World Wide Web. The confidential document was handed to the OACAA board in November and resulted in Mas- sey's firing. In Massey's termination letter, OACAA Board Chairman Don Carpentersaid the agency’s direc- tor had created a negative work environment, madeoffensivereli- gious and racially biased comments and jeopardized the agency by violating Fair Labor Standards. The OACAAusesfederalgrants to fund programs such as Head is improperly constituted. Heis asking to be reinstated with back wages and punitive damages. Scott Hagen, attorney for the racists, the report said. Massey denied making racial slurs to thestaff. The investigation also found substantial evidence supporting accusations that Massey backdat- ed documents and quoted scriptures and denigrated the Mormon religion in front ofstaff. But the report exonerated Mas- sey of allegations that he forged three of his own employee evaluations by signing former board Chairwoman Martha Graham's signature. Massey admitted that he took his personnelrecords after being placed on administrative leave, but he also said he had not been evaluated since 1994. = The report found no evidence of Massey engaging in unfair hiring practices when he hired Dor- etha Keeling as Head Start director. Formeragency employee Thel: ma Clark had accused Massey of altering the position’s criteria so he could hire Keeling. But Lima said Massey folicwed agency guidelines by hiring someone Who already was employed at the agency. Lima did find truth to Clark’s allegation of being forced to work. overtime without pay. The board recently settled a suit by Clark, who claimed $10,000 in unpaid overtime and has since left the agency. Rosario Cirrincione,director of the FO!-Privacy Acts Division.of. the Department of Health and Surrounding developments won't be able te use the system, which Rushing considers an effective treatment. They will have to collection or face penalties. Lima concludedin her report that After interviewing employees, The maximumfine is $10,000 a day per violation. environmentby berating staff and this week after deleting section’ of testimony and names of people whose names had not appeared in newspaperarticles previously. mize runoff. devise other methods of water Massey created a negative work Human Services,initially denied the appealfor privacy reasons. Victor Zonana, the deputy assistant secretary for public af fairs-media, released the appaal Haaga’s 7am No mattress set should cost over $1100. (Whose large overhead are you paying for?) WE ARE THE FACTORY! Mattresses At Factory Prices! *4995.: Ame Wanta story printed a few years ago in The Sait Lake Tribune?it's Limalast year te conduct the investigation amid charges of wrongdoing that agency workers had brought against Massey. white woman,” and labeled others MatCh iS Scratch , Dent, One-of-a-Kind CROSS a ® Commerciai Quality ® Smooth Feel @ Commercial Werranty Information Act request filed by the Standard-Examiner in December. OACAA’s board commissioned Salt Lake City Attorney Lorrie discouraging staff interaction. Witnesses told Lima that Massey called one woman a “stupid board, said he will ask the judge to dismiss thesuit. Lima investigated various charges, including grievances by former employees Thelma Clark, Lorelei Church and Karen LeeGlidden. landscaping te absorb and mini- construction along SR 193 are working with Dr. Roy Hugie of Pioneer Environmental Services in Logan to design a revegetation and erosion contro! system of quick-growing plants, shrubs and cals and other pollutants arestill running down hillsides and into the water supply. Thestate division plans to start cracking down on violators, more weekas a result of a Freedom of Massey has sued the board in federal court, claiming the board Department of Transportation built the State Road 193 inter- permits, but dirt from the con- of former Ogden Area Community Action Agency director H.C. Massey backs up accusations of violating labor laws and harassing employees. The report also exonerated Massey of allegations of forgery and engaging in unfair hiring practices. The report was released this Start and day care for low-income families. asphalt oils, salts and other highway debris, Arnold said. Numer- change on U.S.8! THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OGDEN — The investigative report that resulted in the firing have certainly taken careofit.”” damage. Mark Arnold, attorney for Kays Creek Irrigation Co., says the problems started when the Utah Document madepublic on agencyinvestigation notified of a court date,” he said. “I would not go out of town if I had known aboutit. I would Reservoir, Creek Suffer Pollution, Runoff Caused by Growth THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAYTON -~ Hobbs Reservoir and Kays Creek are the latest victims of growth and development Report on Ogden’s Massey Confirms Some Allegations, But Throws Out Others — a r $2;$05.00 N Six Months FREE Interest Cross Trainers Start at $299 Beth For more information, e-mail ait reeeos nseroie ilA to. extend our ’ Eusebune ee = Full Set": Ms ene reae CsCra tribaccess@sitrib.com Interceramic;usa JFST THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER. EX-FIRM 12 Year Warranty 7 Year Warranty $4245 PILLOW TOP 12 Yeer Warranty Twin set TIC IMPORT (B01) 262-9033 3690 8, 900 W., SALT LAKE CITY ESCO MULTIGYM 2. STACK MACHINE APTOMOABLE FASHIONABLE FUNCTIONAL ROMAN. $499 es if 42 Styles To Choose From Starting At Haaga’s = 90 Daye Interest 2m Sie ee SoeA 467-3751 Pa Equipment Outlet Mi:lel} a4}ie a Sal ‘Next ‘to. Baale @°352-7ata MATTRESS FACTORY 967-6877 PY 540-0200 224-0101 Jeeoeer i CT] |
