Judge will allow hearsay statements from co-conspirators in Swallow public corruption trial

The jury deciding John Swallow's fate in a long-awaited trial next month will get to hear statements from insiders that prosecutors say were part of the alleged criminal conspiracy that left the former Utah attorney general facing criminal charges.

Third District Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills issued a verbal ruling on the so-called hearsay statements Thursday during a telephone conference call with Swallow's attorneys and the Salt Lake County district attorney's office, court records show.

The decision followed two days of testimony from witnesses whose conversations and experiences with Swallow; his immediate predecessor, Mark Shurtleff; and a longtime Shurtleff friend, the late Tim Lawson; offer proof, prosecutors argue, that the three were engaged in a scheme to amass power, money and influence.

That's important because one of the charges accuses Swallow of engaging in a "pattern of unlawful activity," also known as racketeering.

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