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Ex-Utah AG John Swallow waives preliminary hearing

Posted at 4:03 PM, Jun 03, 2015
and last updated 2015-06-03 18:03:23-04

SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah Attorney General John Swallow has waived his right to a preliminary hearing, skipping a chance to get a glimpse of the prosecution’s case against him.

Court records on Wednesday revealed Swallow’s attorney, Stephen McCaughey, and Salt Lake County prosecutors approached 3rd District Court Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills and asked for a waiver. Swallow was to have faced a five-day preliminary hearing, where a judge would have determined if there was enough evidence to make him stand trial. Preliminary hearings also provide defense attorneys a chance to see how prosecutors intend to lay out their case.

Instead, Swallow will be arraigned on July 20 where he will enter a plea to the myriad of charges against him.

Swallow (who resigned from office) and his predecessor, Mark Shurtleff, are both facing corruption charges. They are accused of seeking gifts and donations from people under investigation by the Utah Attorney General’s Office. Both men have insisted they are innocent of the charges.