It Won't Go Away
Sen. Chris Buttars continues causing more problems for image-conscious senators, even when he says or does nothing.
After I wrote in my column Friday about Buttars' letter to 4th District Judge Derek Pullan, criticizing the judge for his ruling against Buttars' good buddy Wendell Gibby in a land dispute between Gibby and the city of Mapleton, the legal community went ballistic. The Utah State Bar received calls and e-mails from attorneys concerned about the appearance of a legislator trying to intimidate a judge (Buttars mentioned prominently in the letter that he was chairman of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee) and the threat to judicial independence from the Legislature.
Senate President John Valentine then stripped Buttars of his chairmanship of that committee, although Buttars retains membership.
In the midst of all that, however, I received an e-mail from Gibby letting me know that many legislators, including those in the August body of the Senate, were outraged at Judge Pullam's ruling and they backed Gibby all the way.
He also said in the e-mail that Buttars vetted his letter to the judge with Valentine and received Valentine's approval before he sent it.
With Valentine being a well respected attorney himself and with his stated ambitions of running for governor some day, that doesn't look good.
A spokesman for Valentine said Buttars has been telling people he sent the letter with the president's approval, but there is a misunderstanding between Buttars and Valentine about that. Valentine knew about the letter, said the spokesman and believed that anyone has the right of free speech to express an opinion to a judge. But he didn't know it would be sent on Buttars' Senate stationery and was not privy to the stern contents of the letter.
Meanwhile, senators have muttered privately they wish this whole business with Buttars would just go away.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
After I wrote in my column Friday about Buttars' letter to 4th District Judge Derek Pullan, criticizing the judge for his ruling against Buttars' good buddy Wendell Gibby in a land dispute between Gibby and the city of Mapleton, the legal community went ballistic. The Utah State Bar received calls and e-mails from attorneys concerned about the appearance of a legislator trying to intimidate a judge (Buttars mentioned prominently in the letter that he was chairman of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee) and the threat to judicial independence from the Legislature.
Senate President John Valentine then stripped Buttars of his chairmanship of that committee, although Buttars retains membership.
In the midst of all that, however, I received an e-mail from Gibby letting me know that many legislators, including those in the August body of the Senate, were outraged at Judge Pullam's ruling and they backed Gibby all the way.
He also said in the e-mail that Buttars vetted his letter to the judge with Valentine and received Valentine's approval before he sent it.
With Valentine being a well respected attorney himself and with his stated ambitions of running for governor some day, that doesn't look good.
A spokesman for Valentine said Buttars has been telling people he sent the letter with the president's approval, but there is a misunderstanding between Buttars and Valentine about that. Valentine knew about the letter, said the spokesman and believed that anyone has the right of free speech to express an opinion to a judge. But he didn't know it would be sent on Buttars' Senate stationery and was not privy to the stern contents of the letter.
Meanwhile, senators have muttered privately they wish this whole business with Buttars would just go away.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
1:18 PM
| 
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home