Скачать или смотреть Gov. Cox ‘very grateful’ he didn’t know Utah Senate leader’s relative would be impacted by new law

Gov. Spencer Cox says he’s “very grateful” he “had no idea” a bill he signed into law easing criminal penalties for 18-year-old high schoolers who have sex with teens too young to consent was prompted by a case involving a relative of Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams.

“I think it was appropriate for the top person in the Senate not to weigh in on this bill, which is exactly what happened,” Cox said during a news conference Thursday.

Cox said he did not know about the genesis of the provision until he read The Salt Lake Tribune’s story about Adams’ involvement. The governor said he doesn’t believe an ethics investigation is warranted because the facts, as they were first reported by The Tribune, are clear and undisputed.

According to Sen. Kirk Cullimore, one of Adams’ top deputies, the Senate president confided in him that Adams’ 18-year-old relative had sex with a 13-year-old and was facing charges of child rape and child sodomy.

Adams suggested the charges and potential for years of prison time were overly harsh, and in doing so, initiated a process that saw Cullimore consulting with the defense attorney for Adams’ relative to change the law, lowering the punishment for 18-year-olds who are still in high school.

The bill was not explicitly retroactive. However, the prosecutor and the defense attorney and the judge in the case involving Adams’ relative all acknowledged that the change to the legislation impacted the plea bargain in the case.

Read more at https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/...

Reporting: Robert Gehrke
Pool video via ‪@PBSUtah‬