Censured South Salt Lake City Council member arrested for allegedly trespassing at City Hall

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah (ABC4) — South Salt Lake City Council member Paul Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing Wednesday night after being censured by the council last week.

According to jail dockets, Sanchez was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail around 8 p.m. and is facing a criminal trespassing charge.

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Police say they arrested him at the South Salt Lake City Hall after they “provided [him] with a written notice of trespass” and he allegedly said “officers will have to arrest him as he was not going to leave,” the probable cause stated.

The City Council unanimously voted to censure Sanchez on March 6, suspending him from several council activities and communications, including participating in council meetings in person. He instead is required to attend via Zoom.

On Wednesday, at 7 p.m., the first City Council meeting was held since the official censure.

The city said Sanchez “was served a trespass notice when he violated the censure and arrived to attend the City Council meeting in person.”

“Because he refused to leave City Hall, made clear his verbal intention to enter the building, and blocked an entrance he was arrested,” the city said.

Sanchez told ABC4 he has been “super critical of the city” online through his social media platforms. “I feel like the only way to expose the truth is to put public pressure on it,” he said.

He continued to say it is also within the other elected officials’ rights to use their social media to give their side of the issue.

“What isn’t within their right is to tell me I can’t show up to City Council meetings,” Sanchez said. “I’m a duly elected official and I have the constitutional right to say what’s on my mind covered by the First Amendment. And what’s also covered by the First Amendment is for me to do my job and to show up and to be in council meetings.”

The censorship came after Sanchez performed a series of social media actions that the council deemed violations of several rules, including the requirements of treating other council members with respect and refraining from posting personal attacks on social media.

“The council adopted these rules in order to promote respectful and civil interactions with members of the public, city staff, and other elected officials and to provide an appropriate atmosphere in which to conduct necessary city business,” the city said.

Sanchez, however, says that the censure was not just regarding his social media posts but was part of an effort to silence him after he called attention to alleged corruption within the city. He said he “will not rest” until he holds several elected city officials accountable for “betray[ing] their oaths” and committing “heinous transgressions.”

He also says he plans on filing a restraining order against the South Salt Lake Police Department.

“While it is unfortunate that the city has been forced to take these actions, we are obligated to conduct city business in a safe environment and protect the City Council members and staff – as well as the residents and community members who attend the City Council meetings,” the city said.

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