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SALT LAKE CITY -- Veteran prosecutor Kent Morgan says he has been treated unfairly by the Salt Lake County district attorney. Wednesday, Morgan filed a notice of claim with the county, outlining his intent to sue to get his job back.
"It's been rancorous and difficult for me and my family," Morgan says. "It seems to be mean-spirited and not a civil way of resolving the differences."
Working as a law clerk -- a position typically given to law students -- isn't where Morgan thought he'd be with more than 25 years of experience. But he says that's where he is stuck after what he calls repeated unfair treatment from his boss, Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller.
"I think the issue, since the beginning, has been a political conspiracy to violate my civil rights," Morgan says.
The retaliation started, he says, after he ran against Miller for the position of district attorney. He lost the race, and resumed his job as a prosecutor under her direction.
That was until he was fired by Miller for allegedly leaking information to an accused felon. He was cleared of those allegations, and the Salt Lake County Career Council ordered his reinstatement as a prosecutor, but Morgan says that hasn't happened.
"My attorney and I would like the county to know we're serious about resolving this," Morgan says.
He says Miller and her staff have continued to retaliate against him, refusing to allow him to go back to his work as a prosecutor. He now is planning to take legal action against her -- filing a "notice of claim" with the county.
The claim seeks $850,000 in damages and $100,000 in lost wages. But Morgan says this isn't about money, it's about right and wrong.
"Every so often, you have to stand up for what you believe," Morgan says. "You have to put up with the rancor, and you have to do the right thing."
A spokeswoman for Lohra Miller's office says they are reviewing the notice of claim to see what action, if any, they will take. They have 90 days to respond, which would typically be in the form of a settlement agreement. If they do not respond, it will then turn into a federal lawsuit.
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Story compiled with contributions from Jennifer Stagg and Marc Giauque.
