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(KSL News) -- Utah Senator Orrin Hatch is defending his decision to help an R & B music producer out of a four-year jail sentence. But some Utahns are still questioning his actions.
Dallas Austin was arrested May 19th for possession of cocaine in the United Arab Emirates. He pleaded guilty and could have faced more than a decade in prison.
But he won't, because Hatch made several phone calls to the United Arab Emirates' consul in Washington on Austin's behalf.
Hatch says he made the calls out of his long-standing angst with mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines.
However, some Utahns speculate it's because Hatch has several contacts in the law firm that assisted Austin, including a former staffer, who asked Hatch to intercede.
