By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Juab County Attorney David Leavitt has released the
financial details of the Tom Green prosecution which proved
to be much better, as to the cost to Juab County residents,
than anyone predicted.
Leavitt characterized the out of pocket prosecution as
a real bargain&emdash;both in terms of the overall cost and
the actual amount paid by Juab County funds.
The Tom Green prosecution cost $48,101.73, much less
than the figures estimated by those not close to the
prosecution.
However, the news for Juab County residents was much
better. The Tom Green Prosecution only cost Juab County
residents $611.09.
"The beauty of the Tom Green case was not simply that
we put a child rapist and welfare con artist in jail, but
that we were able to do it for virtually no cost to Juab
County," Leavitt said.
The low figure for Juab County residents came as a
result of Leavitt persuading agencies of state government to
pay for the expenses of the case.
Specifically, the Utah Prosecution Council paid
$20,791; $12,276 came from federal funds administered by the
state; $10,000 came from the Utah Attorney General's Office;
and $4,423.64 came from Utah State Courts.
All told, that left Juab residents with a prosecution
bill of $611.09.
"The problems exposed during the Tom Green case are
Utah problems, not simply Juab County problems. I'm grateful
that other agencies of state government realized that and
came to our aid," Leavitt said.
"Without that aid, we would not have been able to
prosecute this case. Juab simply did not have enough money
to do it."
He said that at the beginning the case, he committed
to the county that he would accomplish what had to be done
without costing the county a lot of money.
"I spent many hours seeking funding and persuading
others that the cause needed their money. I'm grateful that
they listened and saw the need," said Leavitt.
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