Summary
Two residents, Rose and Donald Gore, used the public comment period to allege constitutional violations by state actors, to describe their family's child-removal case now in federal court, and to ask the city to review police policies and training to ensure warrants and constitutional rights are respected.
During the public comment period on Aug. 20, Rose Gore and Donald Gore addressed the Tooele City Council to raise constitutional concerns and ask city leaders to review police policies and training.
Rose Gore identified herself as a civil-rights advocate and asserted that certain Utah practices allowing charging by information instead of grand-jury indictment are unconstitutional. She cited "Clause 1 of amendment 5," Article I, Section 10 and the Fourteenth Amendment in arguing state law cannot supersede federal constitutional guarantees. "It is a crime," she said, referring to her characterization of officials being paid to violate constitutional requirements.
Donald Gore said his family has been in a dispute with the Utah Division of Child and Family Services and the Tooele City Police Department after the couple's children were removed under a warrant the Gores characterize as defective and unconstitutional. He said their case is now in federal court and asked the council to review police policies, training and warrant practices to ensure officials respect constitutional and disability-rights protections. "As taxpayers, we are paying the salaries of the very officials who have broken these constitutional rules," he said, and requested the city evaluate officer training and warrant review procedures.
Council members did not take formal action during the meeting in response to the remarks. No specific city policies, orders or investigations were announced at the meeting. The speakers indicated ongoing litigation and urged city leaders to "review the policies and training of your police officers to ensure that warrants are lawful and constitutional rights are respected in every interaction."
