APRIL 30, 2025

Media outlet sues Mahoning County Clerk of Courts for delaying access to civil cases: WFMJ
A national news media outlet is suing the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts for what they claim are unconstitutional practices.  

Delaware Municipal Court clerk nears lawsuit settlement as Democrat aims to challenge her: Columbus Dispatch
Delaware Municipal Court Clerk Cindy Dinovo is close to settling another lawsuit accusing her of running a hostile, dysfunctional office, Delaware County's Democratic Party chairperson said.

Cuyahoga County’s reentry system is failing, ex-offenders say. They have ideas for how to improve it: Cleveland.com
Three men who each faced significant hurdles rebuilding their lives after exiting prison say Cuyahoga County must better support people transitioning back into society if it wants to prevent recidivism – and they have some ideas for how to do it.

Doctor who performed ultrasounds on men's genitals in his apartment found not guilty: Cincinnati Enquirer
The actions of a onetime UC Health doctor who performed ultrasounds in his apartment on the genitals of men who went there for heart scans were "inappropriate and incomprehensible" but he did not commit any crimes, a judge has ruled.

Lorain man sentenced to prison for setting motel fire: Tribune Chronicle
A Lorain man was sentenced Monday to seven to 10 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to setting a fire at a Braceville motel last year.

Warren man pleads guilty to 14 counts in child pornography case: Tribune Chronicle
A Warren man pleaded guilty Tuesday to 14 felony counts related to child pornography.

City asks judge to ignore suit dismissal request: The Vindicator
An attorney for the city of Youngstown asked a judge not to grant a request by developer Dominic Marchionda and two of his companies to dismiss its $834,608 civil lawsuit against them “as part of a scheme” to “assist in laundering public funds.”

Teen to be tried as an adult after allegedly shooting at 4 Columbus officers: WBNS
A 17-year-old who is accused of shooting at four Columbus Division of Police officers in January will now be charged as an adult.

Judge rules man accused of killing Beloit woman is competent to stand trial: The Vindicator
Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Donofrio on Tuesday ruled Nicholas Cunningham, 33, competent to stand trial in the October 2023 killing of Gena M. Wade, 44, at Wade’s rural home on Courtney Road, north of Beloit.

Public education supporters plan massive rally at Ohio Statehouse: Columbus Dispatch
Thousands of teachers and public education supporters are expected to rally in the evening at the Ohio Statehouse on May 1 to demonstrate against the state legislature's budget proposal that many say will slash public school funding.

Opioid MDL Judge Won't Recuse Over Ex Parte Allegations: Law360
An Ohio federal judge will not step aside from multidistrict opioid litigation after the plaintiffs' attorney, who had alleged the judge "regularly communicates" with other lawyers involved in the litigation, testified that there was no such communication after all, the judge ruled Tuesday.

 

APRIL 29, 2025

Ohio courts get more time to resolve caseloads: Lima News
One of the missions of any court is to ensure justice is meted out in as efficient and as timely a manner as possible.

Ohio Supreme Court allows ban on gender-affirming care for minors to resume – for now: Columbus Dispatch
Ohio can continue to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors while a legal fight plays out, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled April 29.

Akron Bar Association Law Week festivities underway: Daily Legal News
In just days, legal professionals across the country will mark Law Day on May 1, celebrating the rule of law and holding festivities designed to educate the public on the inner workings of the U.S. justice system.

Second Chances Month: Letters from women at Dayton Correctional Institute: Dayton Daily News
On March 31, 2023, President Biden proclaimed April as Second Chance Month, a time to recognize the importance of helping individuals, communities, and agencies support the safe and successful reentry of those returning from incarceration each year.

Newark law director taps veteran judge to hear HOME Court cases: Newark Advocate
City Law Director Tricia Moore said she has found the right person to hear HOME Court cases when they begin May 7 in Licking County Municipal Court.

'Those are heinous crimes' | Hamilton County prosecutor wants teenage murder suspect tried as adult: WCPO
A 15-year-old boy charged with murdering a 25-year-old man in Corryville could face charges as an adult.

Brothers sentenced for South Toledo double murder: Toledo Blade
Two brothers charged with the fatal shooting of two men in South Toledo last year were sentenced to 33 years to life and 22 to 30 years.

Co-defendant names Duhart as shooter in 2024 West Toledo murder: Toledo Blade
A Toledo man convicted for his role in a 2024 West Toledo murder named an old high school friend as the shooter in the case.

Lake County man to spend at least 17½ years in prison for shooting wife: Cleveland.com
A Painesville man will spend at least 17½ years in prison after he was sentenced Monday in connection with the shooting of his wife last year.

Captured fugitive pleads guilty to several felonies: The Vindicator
David E. Cobb Jr., 34, pleaded guilty to several felony offenses Monday, including attempted robbery, multiple counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Suspect charged in beating death of Grandview Heights man pleads guilty: WBNS
A 33-year-old man charged in the beating death of a Grandview Heights man in 2023 pleaded guilty to reckless homicide.

Privacy of Realty Tower settlement to be decided: The Vindicator
A hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. May 12 for Mahoning County Probate Court Judge Robert Rusu Jr. to hear arguments for why he should or should not seal the records relating to the settlement reached between the relatives of Akil M. Drake and the defendants in the civil suit related to Drake’s death in the May 28, 2024, Realty Tower explosion.

 

APRIL 28, 2025

Appeal denied in rape case: The Vindicator
An appeal in the Sergio Gonzalez III rape case has produced a surprising outcome: Certain evidence should not have been permitted at Gonzalez’s trial last July, but there was so much other evidence, it didn’t matter, the majority opinion of the court states.

Man sentenced to 9 years for deadly drunken driving crash: Toledo Blade
The 56-year-old Temperance man who struck and killed a bicyclist on Alexis Road last year was sentenced to at least nine years in prison.

Buckeye Lake Winery owner sentenced to jail, probation for assaulting minor in Union Twp: Newark Advocate
The owner of Buckeye Lake Winery in Fairfield County will serve a month in jail and probation after a jury convicted him of assaulting a juvenile in Union Township in July.

Cuyahoga County jury finds man guilty in Warrensville Heights murder: Cleveland.com
A Cuyahoga County jury on Thursday found a man guilty of murder in a Warrensville Heights shooting.

Franklin County deputy taken off leave after felony fleeing case dismissed: Columbus Dispatch
The Franklin County Sheriff's office will allow a sergeant demoted to deputy following his arrest by Pataskala police to return to duty.

Trial date set for former FirstEnergy execs Chuck Jones, Michael Dowling in HB6 scandal: Akron Beacon Journal
A trial date has been set for Jan. 26, 2026, in Summit County Common Pleas Court for two former FirstEnergy executives accused of bribing state regulators in the House Bill 6 scandal.

Judge temporarily reinstates Ohio State grad student’s legal status, hours before Trump administration’s reversal: Cleveland.com
A federal judge on Friday temporarily ordered the reinstatement of an Ohio State University graduate student’s foreign visitor record that was likely revoked because he was arrested during a campus protest.

Man pleads guilty in deadly assault in Grandview Heights: WCMH
A man charged with reckless homicide in connection to the fatal beating of a man in Grandview Heights has pleaded guilty.

APRIL 25, 2025

Ohio Supreme Court halts appellate ruling in Cuyahoga prosecutors’ fight on gun cases: Cleveland.com
The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a pause on a ruling from a lower court that found banning people accused of violent felonies from having firearms is unconstitutional.

Off-Site Court Program: Ohio Supreme Court hears oral arguments at Monroe Central High School: Marietta Times
Monroe County high school students had front-row seats to witness how the highest court in the state operates during the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Off-Site Court Program held at Monroe Central High School on Wednesday.

Akron Municipal Court to host trauma recovery, survival summit featuring Elizabeth Smart: Akron Beacon Journal
Akron Municipal Court Judge Ron Cable will host The Recovery and Survival Summit in May to discuss how people can help survivors of trauma, abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault.

Cuyahoga County woman sues ex-University of Michigan assistant football coach over hacking accusation: Cleveland.com
A former Malone University swimmer on Thursday sued the school and former University of Michigan assistant football coach Matt Weiss, who authorities say hacked into some 3,000 students’ accounts to steal explicit photos and videos.

FirstEnergy former lobbyists get immunity to testify in Ohio pay-to-play investigation: Columbus Dispatch
Three former FirstEnergy lobbyists and a senior executive will have immunity from prosecution, freeing them to testify before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio about the $1.3 billion bailout bill.

Wrongful death lawsuit filed after murder of Megan Keleman at Stow Taco Bell: WEWS
The family of a 25-year-old woman who was shot and killed by a stranger at a Taco Bell drive-thru in Stow has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

16-year-old pleads guilty in shooting, gets prison sentence: The Vindicator
Derrick Darrington, 16, pleaded guilty Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to aggravated robbery and felonious assault with gun specifications in a July 27 shooting in Youngstown and was sentenced to 6 to 7.5 years in prison.

Puppy scammer gets probation, jail, must pay restitution: The Vindicator
Some of the 80 people who lost money and never got puppies or puppy breeding products they paid for said Thursday the sham puppy operation April Waidman operated left them poorer and frustrated.

Bazetta officials cheer judge’s ruling: Tribune Chronicle
Township officials say the $80,000 a judge has ordered County Auditor Martha Yoder to pay to the township will benefit the township’s fire, police and roads departments.

 

APRIL 24, 2025

Monroe Central hosts the Ohio Supreme Court: The Times Leader
Monroe County high school students had front-row seats to witness how the highest court in the state operates during the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Off-Site Court Program held at Monroe Central High School on Wednesday.

Ohio Supreme Court brings live court experience to Monroe County students and residents: WTOV
The Supreme Court of Ohio visited Monroe County for the first time Wednesday, where it presented oral arguments for students and residents alike.

Local high school students get civics lesson from the Supreme Court: WTRF
Wondering how the legal system of Ohio actually works? 

Do parental rights hinge on whether a same-sex couple was married? Ohio Supreme Court to decide: Cleveland.com
A Hamilton County custody dispute could reshape how Ohio treats gay couples who had children before same-sex marriage became legal.

Judge orders competency, insanity exams for man in failed restaurant shooting: Toledo Blade
A judge ordered competency and insanity evaluations Wednesday for a lawyer accused of trying to kill his ex-wife in a Warehouse District restaurant April 11.

Jury finds Norfolk Southern responsible for $600M payout: The Vindicator
The jury in the Norfolk Southern civil lawsuit has found Norfolk Southern fully responsible for the $600 million it agreed to pay the people harmed by the Feb. 3, 2024, East Palestine train derailment.

Licking County man sentenced to more than 24 years for child sex abuse crimes: WBNS
A Heath man was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for child sex abuse crimes.

Man pleads guilty, gets prison for shooting contractor in face in Miami Twp: Dayton Daily News
A Wilmington man who was accused of shooting a contractor in the face at a house in Miami Twp. before fleeing to Clinton County was sentenced to prison after entering a plea agreement.

Ravenna man admits raping 17-year-old girl, awaits sentencing: Ravenna Record-Courier
A Ravenna man has admitted sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl last year.

Former Faith Life leader Tom Keesee appears in Knox County court on sexual abuse charges: Columbus Dispatch
Gary Thomas "Tom" Keesee Jr., son of a New Albany megachurch's founders, appeared in court for the first time two days after a Knox County grand jury indicted him on nearly 30 criminal charges alleging sexual abuse.

Ohio man accused in 2015 Columbus homicide has charges dismissed after witness' death: Columbus Dispatch
A man indicted in 2024 for an unsolved 2015 homicide has had the charges against him dismissed after a witness in the case died.

Youngstown to hire law firm for $57 million 20 Fed project: The Vindicator
The city’s board of control today plans to enter into a contract for up to $25,000 with a Cleveland firm to provide legal services related to the potential development of 20 Federal Place, a nine-story downtown building.

 

APRIL 23, 2025

Ohio Supreme Court hears arguments in same-sex parental rights case: Capital Journal
The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that centers around whether a same-sex couple shares parenting rights to children born through artificial insemination while they were in a relationship in the same way a heterosexual couple would.

Ohio Supreme Court to decide if same-sex partners have parental rights before 2015 Obergefell case: Ohio Statehouse News Bureau
The Ohio Supreme Court will decide if LGBTQ+ people in relationships before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015 have the same parental rights as married opposite sex parents. The case from Cincinnati the court heard Tuesday could impact same-sex couples with kids who didn’t marry after that landmark ruling, but are no longer together.

US Supreme Court declines Ohio AG Yost's request to take up qualified immunity amendment case: Columbus Dispatch
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost can't hold up a qualified immunity amendment from clearing its first hurdle toward the statewide ballot, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled when it denied Yost's attempt to block an earlier ruling.

Supreme Court of Ohio to hear cases in Woodsfield: Marietta Times
The Supreme Court of Ohio will hear oral arguments in Monroe County for the first time on Wednesday. The session begins at 9 a.m. at Monroe Central High School.

Ohio Supreme Court to hear arguments over Lorain man's conviction in DUI crash that ended trooper's career (UPDATED): Lorain Chronicle Telegram
The Ohio Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in the case of a Lorain man currently serving prison time for hitting and seriously injuring a State Highway Patrol trooper with his car nearly five years ago.

Federal judge orders TRO against Trump administration in Ohio State student's visa case: Columbus Dispatch
A federal judge in Columbus has granted a temporary restraining order in favor of an Ohio State University graduate student whose immigration status was terminated by the Trump administration.

 

APRIL 22, 2025

Ohio Supreme court set to hear arguments over LGBTQ parental rights: WTVG
The parental rights of same-sex couples will be under scrutiny tomorrow.

'We're dealing with people's lives' | Hamilton County drug court uses accountability, care to help defendants: WCPO
Since 1995, the Hamilton County Drug Treatment and Recovery Court has been working with those arrested on drug-related charges.

Berea Municipal Court works through financial challenges: Cleveland.com
To better understand Berea Municipal Court operational costs, City Council’s Court Committee recently met with Judge Sean Kilbane and Clerk of Courts Joe DeMio.

Cuyahoga prosecutors fight ruling that lets those accused of violent crimes keep guns: Cleveland.com
Cuyahoga County prosecutors are fighting an appellate ruling that allows people of accused of violent felonies to possess firearms.

Man sentenced in Weathersfield public indecency case: WKBN
A Weathersfield Township man pleaded guilty to public indecency and was sentenced Monday.

What are Ohio's vaccine laws and are there exemptions? | Legally Speaking: WTOL
The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that state laws requiring immunizations are a constitutional exercise of state police power.  

Ohio man accused in fatal stabbing found incompetent to stand trial - for now: Columbus Dispatch
A judge has ordered a man accused of stabbing a woman to death to undergo treatment to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

OhioHealth introduces new camera technology to support survivors of sexual violence: WBNS
OhioHealth is deploying a new camera system aimed at supporting survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence.

Mother sues private Northeast Ohio prison over son’s fentanyl overdose death: Cleveland.com
The mother of a man who died of a fentanyl overdose in a private prison in Northeast Ohio has sued over her son’s 2023 death.

 

APRIL 21, 2025

Ohio Supreme Court to decide parents' rights question for some LGBTQ couples: Cincinnati Enquirer
The Ohio Supreme Court will consider a Hamilton County case with ramifications for LGBTQ couples with children who did not marry before the 2015 landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same sex marriage.

Judge denies teen murder suspect's return to hospital despite removal from court due to injuries: WCPO
Defense attorneys for a 15-year-old charged with murdering a 25-year-old man claim the teen's release from the hospital was premature.

Jury finds Cleveland teen not guilty in woman’s execution-style murder: Cleveland.com
A jury on Thursday acquitted a teen charged in the death of a woman who was tied up, beaten and shot 19 times on a desolate Cleveland road.

Hamilton man wants Butler County court’s help to hire a private investigator: Dayton Daily News
The 18-year-old charged with allegedly trying to hire an inmate to kill someone, has requested the court to allow him to hire a private investigator.

Ohio State faculty to vote on joining Big Ten coalition against Trump’s actions: WCMH
Faculty senates at least five Big Ten universities are joining forces to stand against President Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks against higher education, and many Ohio State University faculty intend to follow suit.

Ex-Cleveland Council member’s romantic partner pleads guilty in corruption probe: Cleveland.com
The romantic partner of former Cleveland City Councilman Basheer Jones admitted Friday to swindling nonprofits with him.