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SALT LAKE CITY -- Cottonwood Heights police officer Beau Babka resigned from the Cottonwood Heights Police Department late Friday.
Babka's attorney, Greg Skordas, said Babka resigned just before 5 p.m.
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Earlier in the day, Babka made a brief initial appearance in 3rd District Court. He is charged with two counts of misuse of public funds, a third-degree felony, for allegedly using his city-issued gas card to put fuel in his personal vehicles.
He sat in the front row of Judge Kate Toomey's courtroom looking somber and staring straight ahead as he waited for his name to be called.
Once he was called to the stand, Babka did not say a word as Toomey set a roll call hearing for Feb. 1. His appearance was over in less than a minute.
Outside the courtroom, both Babka and Skordas declined comment, Babka holding his head down as he walked to the courthouse elevators.
Babka was originally scheduled to make an initial appearance Jan. 25 but rescheduled at the last minute.
The case has been heavily scrutinized by some for the way it is being handled. The Fraternal Order of Police, Utah State Lodge said it was appalled by the arrest of Babka in front of his family at home, rather than him being issued a summons, and being booked into the Salt Lake County Jail, just to be released.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said the evidence presented to his office was what prompted all of his actions.
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Story compiled with contributions from Pat Reavy and John Daley.
(Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
