Appeals court: Certify Altiere

The elections board director was shocked by the ruling.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The 5th District Court of Appeals has ordered the Trumbull County Board of Elections to certify results of the November election in which Thomas Altiere was re-elected sheriff.
The court, based in Canton, issued the ruling late Friday afternoon.
The one-page ruling orders the board to issue a certificate of election to Altiere or to show cause why it has not by Friday.
The elections board can appeal the order to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Nettie Ashelman, a board of member, and Norma Williams, the director, said the board voted Friday to hire a lawyer to represent them in a lawsuit filed by Altiere regarding its failure to certify the results because of questions surrounding his campaign finance reports.
No warning: "I am just shocked," Williams said. "We didn't know they had already made a decision. We just hired an attorney."
George McQue of the Columbus law firm of Crabbe, Brown & amp; James was hired at $125 an hour during a special meeting Friday.
Williams said she will talk with him Monday to find out what the board can do.
Altiere and his attorney, Samuel Bluedorn, are pleased.
"I'm glad but I had no idea that it was coming so quickly," Bluedorn said. "I realize the elections board just hired an attorney, but I don't know why they waited two months to hire someone."
Altiere filed a lawsuit Dec. 21 with the 11th District Court of Appeals in Warren to force the board to certify his re-election to a third four-year term.
The board voted 2-2 along party lines on the re-election of Altiere, a Democrat.
The tie was referred to Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, who decided late last month not to certify Altiere.