This ex-Canyon County prosecutor tried to serve a shorter jail sentence. It didn’t work

Elen Gastaldo, Idaho Statesman

CALDWELL (Idaho Statesman) – The Idaho Supreme Court has denied a erstwhile Canyon County prosecutor’s petition to person in installments for partial days he spent successful jailhouse connected a criminal conviction.

John T. Bujak pleaded blameworthy successful 2022 to stealing complete $10,000 from a family member, the Statesman antecedently reported. Bujak was past sentenced to salary $10,000 successful restitution by 2026 and to walk 30 days successful jail. He was besides placed connected 5 years’ probation and permitted to support moving arsenic a motortruck driver truthful he could make restitution payments.

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Bujak defeated incumbent Prosecuting Attorney Dave Young successful nan May 2008 Republican superior election, faced no opponent that November and took agency successful January 2009. He resigned little than 2 years later, connected Sept. 30, 2010, aft he could not salary backmost $300,000 that region commissioners said he owed to Canyon County. They had appropriated nan money to a misdemeanor-prosecution money and placed it nether Bujak’s sole control.

Bujak was charged pinch 2 counts of expansive theft, a title that was past amended to felony misuse of nationalist funds, successful 2011. He was later acquitted. But nan incident led to further charges connected different matters. Between 2012 and 2014 he stood proceedings 5 times connected felony charges, though nary assemblage recovered him guilty, nan Statesman antecedently reported.

In 2014, Bujak ran for politician arsenic a Libertarian, drafting 4% of nan vote. In 2015, he gave up his rule licence aft an Idaho State Bar title sought to disbar him.

Allowed by nan judge successful nan family-member theft lawsuit to service his condemnation successful intervals, Bujak chose to activity during nan week and walk his jailhouse clip connected weekends. On his first stay, he was successful nan Ada County jailhouse from Friday greeting to Sunday morning.

Bujak expected to beryllium held connected Friday and Saturday and person in installments for 2 days. Serving until Sunday morning, Bujak based on that he should person in installments for three.

District Judge James S. Cawthon denied Bujak’s request, saying that he should person 1 time of in installments each 24-hour play served, and that he had been released aft astir 48 hours. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld nan territory court’s decision.