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6d ago

Utah Audits Fault Salt Lake County Justice System, Spur Rebuke of DA

Auditors urge tighter oversight with transparent policies to curb recidivism, clarifying accountability.

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Salt Lake City police officers work the scene after a Salt Lake City police officer was attacked by a trespasser in an underpass at 550 W. 500 South in Salt Lake City on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. Other officers responded and helped the officer at the scene, where the officer was then transported in fair condition to a local hospital.

Overview

  • State auditors released performance reviews after roughly 10 months, citing fragmented coordination across independently elected offices that leaves accountability gaps for repeat offenders.
  • Lawmakers, led by Rep. Casey Snider, castigated District Attorney Sim Gill for skipping the hearing, calling his absence a leadership shortfall as Gill issued a written response.
  • The DA’s office was found to lack adequate written screening and filing policies, show inconsistent charging, and provide limited documentation on plea deals and diversion decisions, with auditors blocked from some admission meetings.
  • The jail review reported chronic overcrowding with more than 100,000 releases since 2007, an average of 12 hours in custody for this year’s overcrowding releases, and a 38.4% 90‑day recidivism rate in 2025.
  • The SLCPD audit tied dysfunction to former Chief Mike Brown, citing misuse of administrative leave, civilian influence over core functions, weakened oversight, and record‑low morale, as auditors recommended legislative fixes and county leaders signaled a 2026 jail‑capacity referendum.