Candidates faced off to tackle issue of poverty in Utah

The election is still three months away, but the race for the Salt Lake District Attorney's office is heating up. In a rare joint appearance, Salt Lake District Attorney Lohra Miller and her opponent, Salt Lake City Prosecutor Sim Gill, spoke at the Sixth Annual People's Summit on Poverty. They fielded tough questions from Utahn's who know all too well about the topic.

Homeless resident Jackie Sanchez said, "I'm walking down the street, I've got my backpack on, and the bicycle cops roll up on me and ask me what's in my backpack. To me, it's none of their concern. I'm not intoxicated, I'm not on drugs." Sanchez accused police of harassing the homeless. Both Gill and Miller recommended he file an official complaint.


Treatment of the homeless was just one of the difficult issues the candidates faced. Participants at the poverty summit also asked about immigration reform and racial profiling. Miller said, "Racial profiling under any law is illegal, unconstitutional, and can't be acceptable." Sim Gill agreed, and added, "It cannot sustain the application of the law. It is morally repugnant, it is unethical for us to do that."

Miller said the criminal justice system, and how it handles impoverished people, needs improving. "Instead of just responding by prosecuting the case, be willing to look at the alternatives," said Miller. Gill argued that many in trouble with the law sometimes need treatment over prosecution. "Dollar for dollar, taxpayers get a better return on their investment than simply warehousing and locking people up," said Gill.

There were no major disagreements between Miller and Gill. Many in the crowd were happy with both candidates' answers. "Both of them were very thoughtful in how they responded, and both of them showed a real concern for people," said Laine Gardinier with the Crossroad Urban Center.

The race for the district attorney's office will be closely watched in the coming months. Miller narrowly defeated Gill in 2006. Gill has vowed that won't happen again this November.

FOX 13's Katy Carlyle reports.