Latest news with #CommonPleasCourt
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Attorney for defendant in fatal OVI crash files motion to suppress blood evidence
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The attorney for a man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a mother and her son has asked that blood evidence in the case be suppressed. In a motion filed Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on behalf of Walter Bolt, 65, of Struthers, attorney Rhys Cartwright-Jones said blood drawn from Bolt after the March 3 crash should be excluded from trial because it was not collected according to state law. Cartwright-Jones also said the affidavit to get a warrant for the blood draw was not sufficient. Bolt has been in the Mahoning County jail on $250,000 bond since his arrest after a grand jury indicted him on two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, a second-degree felony; aggravated vehicular assault, a third-degree felony; and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a first-degree misdemeanor. He is accused of driving drunk on March 3 and causing a head-on crash that killed Angela Brown, 44, and her son, Jason Daff, 15, at state Route 170 and Unity Road in Springfield Township. Another son of Brown's was injured in the crash and is presently recovering. Bolt pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment May 19. Court records list a July 9 pretrial hearing and July 14 trial before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum. Troopers say his blood-alcohol content was .215, over the legal limit of 0.08. At a bond hearing last week before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum, Assistant Prosecutor Steve Maszczak said troopers and police also found several beer cans scattered throughout Bolt's car in the wake of the crash. In his motion Tuesday, however, Cartwright-Jones said the affidavit written by state troopers from the Canfield Barracks of the Ohio State Highway Patrol requesting a blood draw did not say if those beer cans were open and did not provide a link between the cans and their suspicions that Bolt was drunk. Although accident reports said Bolt appeared confused after the crash, Cartwright-Jones wrote in his motion that it would be reasonable for someone to appear confused following a head-on collision. 'The warrant application relied heavily on the presence of beer cans and a generalized claim of impairment without confirming the condition of the containers or establishing a clear nexus between any alleged alcohol abuse and the crash,' Cartwright-Jones wrote. Cartwright-Jones also wrote that the way Bolt's blood was drawn goes against state law because medical records fail to identify who took the blood when Bolt was being treated at St. Elizabeth Health Center or the qualifications of the person who drew the blood. Also, the state has failed to provide a 'chain of custody' for how the blood got to the state crime lab, or a documented chain of people who had the blood from the time it was taken until the time it got to the lab. 'Really, no one can say how the blood got to the state lab, let alone who took it, let alone whether anyone took the sample in an Administrative Code-compliant way,' Cartwright-Jones wrote. Prosecutors have yet to file a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawsuit over Franklin County jail overdose alleges neglect and coverup from nurses
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A recent lawsuit alleges medical staff at a Franklin County jail did not perform required safety checks on a woman, resulting in her death, then falsified records to cover it up. The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in March, accuses multiple medical professionals with Armor Health of Ohio LLC who worked an overnight shift at the jail on Jackson Pike of not properly monitoring Gierra Perdue, 33, who died of a fentanyl overdose. The legal action was filed on behalf of Perdue's mother. Ohio lawmakers push for stricter rules on 'obscene' drag queens, indecent exposure On March 9, 2023, Perdue was arrested and taken to jail. She was in the process of detoxing from drugs she took before her arrest, according to the lawsuit. At 'some point' after arriving at the jail, Perdue was put on a safety watch, which required medical staff to 'visually inspect' her every 8-10 minutes, the filing says. Franklin County contracts with Armor Health of Ohio to provide medical services at the jail. Along with the company, the lawsuit names four medical staff members who were working the overnight shift on March 16 as defendants. Between the four employees, Perdue was checked on a total of four times: at 9:07 p.m., 10:15 p.m., 11:14 p.m. and 2:08 a.m., when she was found dead. However, some of the staff falsified a log to indicate they checked on Perdue 42 times, according to the suit. All of the entries claimed Perdue was 'asleep.' The lawsuit does not specify when or how Perdue may have come into contact with the fentanyl that caused her fatal overdose. The filing further alleges that before Perdue was discovered dead, the nurses had prefilled out safety check entries for times after her death. After realizing the records would be reviewed in a death investigation, they created a new log that did not include times after 2 a.m. — but still falsely reported 42 checks — and discarded the original in the medical record shredding bin. Ohio announces 2-week sales tax holiday An investigator asked one of the nurses why she falsified the reports, to which she blamed 'ignorance and laziness,' according to the lawsuit. The legal filing claims Perdue 'needlessly' died under the 'neglect' of the medical staff. It says if the nurses were checking on Perdue when they falsely reported doing so, they would have clearly noticed her in distress, making it obvious she needed emergency attention. The lawsuit requests damages exceeding $25,000 on top of all court-related costs. NBC4 reached out to Armor Health for comment but has not received a response. Franklin County commissioners entered into a three-year contract with Armor Health in 2021 for nearly $65 million. In October 2024, they extended the contract by one year, and it is currently set to expire on Oct. 17. Founded in 2004, the Florida-based company provides medical care to state and local correctional facilities across the country, according to its website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Area lawmaker gave $4K to county prosecutor accused of turning away sexual misconduct allegations
May 30—Five months after then-Preble County Prosecutor Martin Votel was credited by the county sheriff with turning away allegations of sexual imposition against state Rep. Rodney Creech, Creech made a substantial donation to the prosecutor's campaign for county judge. An eventual state investigation into the allegations involving Creech and a teenage minor female produced no charges, but a special prosecutor over the case called Creech's behavior "concerning and suspicious." Creech, a third-term Republican lawmaker from West Alexandria, says the state probe cleared him of any wrongdoing. Votel, who was elected Preble County Common Pleas Court judge in November, disputes Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson's characterization of Votel's involvement in the case. Votel told this outlet that he sees no concerns with accepting Creech's donation. "I did not then, and do not now, feel that my campaign's acceptance of these contributions was unethical or inappropriate," Votel wrote in a statement. "Any/all allegations are, to my knowledge, presently and wholly unsubstantiated." Creech was removed from his committee posts in the Ohio House and was asked by leadership to resign once the investigation surfaced this month. He has framed the surfacing of the investigation as a "political hit job." Creech currently represents Preble and parts of Montgomery and Butler counties in the Ohio House. As the allegations against him were about to be published, he announced a run for Ohio Senate. Sheriff, prosecutor disagree In July 2023, an allegation that Creech acted inappropriately with a minor teenage female was brought directly to Sheriff Simpson by the minor's stepfather — an Ohio police chief. In the time since, Simpson has seemingly told two different stories of his initial phone call with the minor's stepfather, though both of Simpson's stories end with Votel turning down the allegations in one way or another. According to a state investigative record summarizing a November 2023 conversation between Simpson and a state special agent, Simpson relayed that the stepfather felt he had to report the alleged incident as a mandatory reporter under state law. From there, Simpson relayed that he received text messages that outlined Creech's alleged May 2023 conduct, which he then took to Votel for his opinion. The state's lead investigator on the case after meeting with Simpson wrote: "Simpson said Mr. Votel indicated there was no criminal complaint at that time. No report or other action took place from the sheriff's office." The alleged victim's mother called Simpson's handling of the case "an absolute dereliction of duty by a public official," according to state records. To the Dayton Daily News, Simpson said the stepfather had not actually tried to report the alleged incident. Instead, Simpson said the stepfather asked whether he had to report the potential crime under the state's mandatory reporter laws. In that version of the story, Simpson said he brought the question to Votel and Votel advised that the stepfather was not a mandatory reporter in this instance. In a statement to this news outlet, Votel seemingly denied both versions of Simpson's story. "There was never a question presented to me about mandatory reporters," wrote Votel. "...Further, the office did not and would not either encourage or discourage an investigation — the role of the prosecuting attorney is to consult with law enforcement when called upon, and to make criminal charging decisions based upon submitted law enforcement reports." It's unclear what Votel's actual involvement, if any, was in Preble County's initial handling of the allegations. Votel did not respond to a request for interview before publication. Both Simpson and Votel — personal friends of Creech — recused themselves from the eventual investigation into the allegations that came months later after it was reported in Montgomery County in September 2023. The donation Creech routed $4,100 from his own campaign to Votel's bid for the Preble County Court of Common Pleas on Dec. 19, 2023. Creech was Votel's first and largest donor — his donation accounted for roughly 75% of the financial support Votel received. It was also the sole donation Creech's campaign has given to Votel dating back to at least mid-2019, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of state campaign finance data. And it's the fourth-largest expenditure Creech has made to an individual candidate in that same time frame, according to state records. In a statement to this outlet, Creech denied any connection between the donations and Votel's reported involvement in fielding the allegations. "Marty Votel is a tremendous public servant, and I am proud to know him," Creech wrote. "Though our friendship goes back nearly 15 years, I have donated to his campaign once — the first time Marty has run a contested race since I've known him." "Unfortunately, the simple act of one conservative supporting another is now some sort of scandal in the media. There is literally nothing more to this supposed story, and I will continue to support strong conservatives in Preble County and throughout the State of Ohio." Votel had two elections to win in order to become judge: A contested March 2024 Republican primary and an uncontested November 2024 general election. He won the primary with 70% of the vote and won unopposed in November. Votel also donated $100 to Creech's re-election campaign in September 2024. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman who ran over husband enters plea
May 23—LIMA — An Indiana woman who police say intentionally ran over her husband with the family van late last year entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors on Friday. Kayla Jones, 36, of Decatur, Indiana, pleaded guilty to a single count of robbery, a second-degree felony, in exchange for the state's dismissal of a charge of felonious assault, also a second-degree felony, and a misdemeanor count of domestic violence. Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Terri Kohlrieser set sentencing for July 2. According to court documents, on Dec. 13, 2024, Lima police officers were called to the 200 block of North Shawnee Street in reference to a man being run over by a vehicle. The victim, who was later learned to be Jones' husband, had visible injuries and was transported to a Lima hospital. While in the hospital, the man said he and his wife had come to Lima to visit friends. He said he initially dropped Jones off in the 500 block of North Rosedale Avenue while he visited another friend. Several hours later, she called to be picked up, according to court records. Jones came out and got into the vehicle in the company of a Black male who was unknown to Jones' husband. The man asked to be taken to a location on North Shawnee Street. Once in that area, the male exited the vehicle, opened the door and attempted to pull the victim from the vehicle. Police say that while the two men were fighting, Jones got into the driver's seat and used the vehicle as a weapon by running over her husband. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bar Association honors colleagues who have passed
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Each year before Memorial Day, the Mahoning County Bar Association holds a special ceremony honoring colleagues who have passed away. Thursday, six individuals were remembered in a service filled with both reflection and celebration. Attorneys George Tzagournis, Kenneth Bailey, Thomas Infante, Daniel Rossi, Steve Meloy and Dennis Haines were honored by friends and family for their service to the legal system in Mahoning County. 'It is a tribute to the fact that these folks were lawyers and made a difference in our community, but it also is a tribute to the individuality of them specifically and what they meant to their families,' said Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge R. Scott Krichbaum. Each attorney who passed away had a family member or representative give a speech highlighting some of their accomplishments. Family members were also presented with flowers for their lost loved one. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
