Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Keith McCord and Paul Nelson Reporting
Former Salt Lake County Attorney Ted Cannon is challenging a court-ordered eviction notice.
"They're claiming that noxious odors are escaping from my apartment, and there was testimony to the smells of garbage, which didn't happen."
Last week, a judge said Cannon had violated his lease at his Salt Lake City apartment, and ordered him to move out by tomorrow. But now he's filed court papers to extend the deadline.
Ted Cannon, now 74-years old, says he wants to move, he just needs more time to get it done.
Life has certainly changed for Ted Cannon. He served two terms as the Salt Lake County Attorney, between 1978 and 1986, and was a city prosecutor prior to that. He oversaw numerous cases--many high profile. Cannon was regularly seen and quoted in the media.
Today, the 74-year old Cannon, living on a Social Security income, is packing his belongings. And while he wears a small heart and oxygen monitor around his neck because of his emphysema, Cannon is still as fiesty as ever!
Ted Cannon: "I have an appeal to the Supreme Court on the way the trial was conducted. It was a farce, frankly."
Last Friday, a 3rd District Court judge ruled in favor of the Salt Lake Housing Authority, which owns Phillips Plaza, where Cannon has lived for the past 15 years. Several residents testified that Cannon's apartment smells bad, like garbage and smoke.
"It smells of pipe smoke. I smoke a pipe."
Others have said that he's mentioned he has guns, and made threatening remarks against them.
Ted Cannon: "Because I possess some antique firearms."
Keith McCord: "Any loaded?"
Cannon: "No, no. I don't even know the ammunition for those old guns."
Cannon says Housing Authority makes tenants stick to all the details in their lease, but the apartment managers break these agreements often.
Ted Cannon: "They just waltz in, and they use a bug spray inspection for a chance to look over and see if they can do you for bad housekeeping."
The judge in the case gave Cannon until 5 o'clock tomorrow to move out. He's filed a "stay" with the Utah Supreme Court, to give him more time to do that, which he says he wants and plans to do.
Keith McCord: "You don't want to live here anymore, but you don't..."
Ted Cannon: "I don't want to be kicked out. I won't be kicked out."
Keith McCord: "You want to go out on your own. You're gonna fight?"
Cannon: "Sure."
Cannon says he wants to move, and has another apartment in mind. But he can't live there if an eviction is on his record.
The attorney for the Salt Lake Housing Authority says there's no news on the status of Cannon's appeal as of this afternoon. If the appeal is turned down, the sheriff's department would probably speak with Mr. Cannon on Monday, to see just how close he is to moving out.
The apartment manager was not available for comment.
