Bonding company, city settle lawsuit

YOUNGSTOWN -- An out-of-court settlement has been reached in a Trumbull County bail bonding company's $2 million lawsuit against the city's clerk of courts, and the case has been voluntarily dismissed.
The suit was filed by AA Worldwide Bail Bonding Co. of Warren, which contended that Clerk of Courts Sarah Brown-Clark made it pay a $6,500 bond forfeiture twice.
The complaint was originally filed in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, but was moved to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court at the city's request.
A brief entry signed by Judge Maureen A. Cronin of common pleas court says only that the suit is settled and dismissed. No details of the settlement agreement were included.
Atty. Greg Morgione of the city's law department said terms of the settlement are confidential by agreement of the parties.
Atty. Samuel Bluedorn of Warren, who represented the bonding company, could not be reached to comment.
City officials contended that a clerical error is what caused them to demand the second bond forfeiture.
"We refunded the $6,500 as soon as we realized what happened," Morgione said.