This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
American Fork • It will be at least another month before the fraud trial against former Provo Municipal Councilman Steve Turley could move forward.
On Tuesday, 4th District Judge Christine Johnson gave Turley's lawyer, former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman, and the Utah County Attorney's Office four weeks to resolve their dispute over records in the case.
Johnson made her decree after Tolman said he was a week away from asking the court to force prosecutors to turn over information he insisted has been withheld.
"We believe there is a massive amount of documents that the government holds," Tolman said, "… that we believe are exculpatory."
Turley faces seven counts of communications fraud, two counts of exploiting vulnerable adults and a single count of engaging in a pattern of criminal conduct, all first-degree felonies, related to his private business dealings.
Tolman said his last request for additional information yielded more than 1,300 pages of documents and four hours of recorded conversations.
Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said prosecutors have given Turley's lawyer everything they are legally required to give. He said this was the first time he heard the allegation that his office was holding back.
"We are not playing games here. We are not trying to hide the ball," Grunander said. "We want to move this case forward."
Turley resigned from the council in September, just before his colleagues were poised to remove him for violating ethics rules as a councilman.
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What's next
Provo Municipal Councilman Steve Turley is scheduled to be back in 4th District Court in American Fork at 8:30 a.m. April 3.