Deseret News

Deseret News, Tuesday, March 19, 2002

Davis attorney faces 2 challengers

Alleged prosecutorial bungling in two high-profile homicide cases has driven two challengers to try to oust incumbent Davis County Attorney Mel Wilson.

Wilson dismisses his recent courtroom losses as isolated incidents in a 30-year career.

In what may prove to be one of the early contentious battles for public office, the race for Wilson's job got off to a healthy start with Monday's close of filing for elected office in the 2002 season.

Across the state, political hopefuls filed their declaration of candidacy for spots on school boards, county sheriffs, the state Legislature and U.S. Congress. Many of the contenders will be eliminated in upcoming party conventions while others can coast through until the June primary.

All Democrats will be able to do is watch the Davis County attorney race from the sidelines at the upcoming convention. All three candidates are Republicans. No Democrats, well aware of Davis County's conservative flavor, filed.

Loren D. Martin hopes for some political payback. Martin lost the county attorney post 16 years ago to Wilson. He has since been involved in pro bono work for seniors and and said he was no longer content to watch the prosecutor's office continue to decline.

"It just doesn't seem right," Martin said.

Another challenger, Russell Cline, said several people approached him to run after expressing concern over two cases he said ended disastrously.

"For whatever reason, Mr. Wilson has become complacent. He isn't really focusing on what he should be doing."

Cline cited a tossed-out homicide conviction in the case of Dr. Robert Weitzel. The conviction was reversed by a judge and a new trial ordered after it was discovered prosecutors failed to disclose exculpatory evidence. In another case, a day-care provider was acquitted of homicide after several jurors complained the charges were too stringent and not appropriate.

Wilson said he's confident another conviction will be returned on the Weitzel case and that the second case involving the day-care provider deserved a jury.

"It's a process that we go through," he said. "I'm not saying I don't lose cases."

Wilson called Cline's characterization of his record and singling out two high-profile cases "unfair," citing 30 years of prosecuting and defending thousands of criminal cases.

"You have to look at the whole picture," he said. Wilson also said that, unlike many county attorneys along the Wasatch Front, he prosecutes his own caseload.

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