San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman at ATV rally
Written by Erin Zeltner, photo by Dallas Hyland
Lyman will be required to reimburse the federal government for his accrued attorney’s fees should Furse withdraw the court-appointed counsel which was originally granted to him. San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman isn’t budging from his decision to use a taxpayer-funded attorney for his defense against federal charges erupting from involvement in the Recapture Canyon Protest earlier this year. 

Lyman, who has opened public dialogue in taking a stand to reclaim federal lands for state use, was charged with furthering conspiracy to incite illegal operation of ATVs through BLM land and of illicitly riding an off-road vehicle himself during the Recapture Canyon Protest held earlier this spring. The protest, used as a tool by over 50 ATV riders in an attempt to take back the lands after ATV trails have remained indefinitely closed for over 7 years, occurred near ancient burial sites which may have incurred damage. If found guilty, his sentence could result in up to a $100,000 fine and 1 year in jail for each charge.

Lyman, who earns $50,000 per year as a County Commissioner, is a CPA who also owns and operates Phil Lyman Accounting in Blanding, Utah. Court-appointed attorneys are legally reserved for those who are financially-limited, a fact which has U.S. federal prosecutors and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Huber questioning Lyman’s eligibility to use publicly-funded defense. This has spurred U.S. Magistrate Madeline Furse to announce that, should Lyman hold fast to using a federal defender, she will reconsider her previous decision for court-appointed defense which was originally given after private financial documents were provided.

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Dallas Hyland
Dallas Hyland is a professional technical writer, freelance writer and journalist, award-winning photographer, and documentary filmmaker. As a senior writer and editor-at-large at The Independent, Hyland’s investigative journalism, opinion columns, and photo essays have ranged in topics from local political and environmental issues to drug trafficking in Utah. He has also worked the international front, covering issues such as human trafficking in Colombia. His photography and film work has received recognition as well as a few modest awards and in 2015, he was a finalist for the Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Based in southern Utah, he works tirelessly at his passion for getting after the truth and occasionally telling a good story. On his rare off-days, he can be found with his family and friends exploring the pristine outdoors of Utah and beyond.

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