ROLLY AND WELLS: SERGEANT'S ACT SMELLS FUNNIER THAN THE MONEY

On Sept. 19 of last year, Salt Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Darin Carr pulled
over Breton Baranda, a Mexican national, and seized the $2,340 Baranda had
in his wallet, saying it smelled like marijuana. Carr did not give Baranda
a receipt, but handed him his business card.

When attorney Joseph Jardine of Salt Lake City called Carr about Baranda's
money several weeks later, he felt the sergeant was being evasive so he
filed a complaint with the sheriff's Internal Affairs Division on Oct. 27.

Four days later, Baranda finally received a receipt for his money. It was
explained to Jardine that the money was kept in a container until a
drug-sniffing dog could be used to inspect it. The explanation came on Nov.
6, a month and a half after the initial stop and a week and a half after
the Internal Affairs complaint. The sheriff's office then filed an official
seizure claim in 3rd District Court on Nov. 21.

Sheriff's Sgt. Peggy Faulkner said Carr was reprimanded for not giving
Baranda a receipt, but that he otherwise acted properly. Baranda was never
charged with a crime. The Utah Supreme Court has since ruled money cannot
be seized solely on the basis of its smell.

Meanwhile, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office agreed after
months of haggling to split the money with Baranda, who used it to return
to Mexico.

Lavish Lobbying

The Salt Lake County Council has appropriated $30,000 to hire the
husband-and-wife team of Fred Finlinson and Christine Fox, former
legislators, to represent its interests in the Legislature.

County Mayor Nancy Workman already has committed $100,000 to hire two
lobbying firms: Tetris, led by former Sens. Paul Rogers and Blaze Wharton,
and Sego Strategies, led by former Rep. Susan Koehn. Lobbyist Dave
Nicponski is representing Salt Lake County Treasurer Larry Richardson,
Recorder Gary Ott and Surveyor Vaughn Butler, who are pooling their money
to pay him $45,000.

Lobbyist Spencer Stokes is representing County Sheriff Aaron Kennard at the
Legislature for $45,000.

Bottom line: County taxpayers are shelling out nearly a quarter of a
million dollars for five lobbying firms working independently of one another.

Jumping In

State Rep. John Swallow, R-Sandy, filed an official campaign finance
committee report with the Federal Elections Commission last week, notifying
the commission that he intends to seek the Republican nomination for Utah's
2nd Congressional District seat in 2002.

Swallow says he will not make an official public announcement until after
the upcoming legislative session. But for the race, he has raised $5,000,
which necessitates his filing of the federal report. Other Republican
hopefuls for Congressman Jim Matheson's seat include Salt Lake County
Councilman Winston Wilkinson, former Congressman Merrill Cook, state Sen.
Bill Hickman, R-St. George, and attorney Greg Hawkins, who unsuccessfully
challenged Sen. Orrin Hatch for the GOP nomination last year.

Generous Grinch

Because of Utahns' generosity to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, donations to Utah charities have decreased. That is why Salvation
Army workers were thrilled last week when they found a $50 bill that had
been placed in one of the kettles in Salt Lake City. Upon further
examination, however, the bill was found to be counterfeit.