WARREN Dad seeks dismissal in death

The judge is expected to rule on the motion in the next few days.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A man accused in the death of his 7-month-old daughter wants the judge to dismiss the charges against him because he was not tried in a timely manner.
Atty. Jeffrey Goodman told Judge John Stuard during a hearing Monday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court that his client, Ranell Ziegler, 24, should be freed because his case should have been heard in December.
State law mandates that defendants who are in jail awaiting trial should have their cases heard within 90 days. Ziegler was arrested in October.
Prosecutors, however, say the case was delayed because Ziegler's former attorney, Tom Wright, filed a motion to prohibit prosecutors from using Ziegler's statements to police as evidence.
Once that motion is filed, the trial time is delayed, prosecutors say.
Goodman, however, told the judge Monday the motion filed by Wright is not time-stamped from the clerk of courts office so there is no way to know when it was filed.
Wright, however, testified Monday that he mailed the motion to the court Dec. 6.
Thomas Wrenn, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said a computer printout of the court docket shows the motion was filed Dec. 9.
Judge Stuard said he will make a decision on the motion to dismiss in the next few days.
Authorities say Ziegler killed A'lena Ziegler on Oct. 3.
Police report
Warren police said the child may have died after being thrown.
Police said someone called 911 on Oct. 2 to say a baby had been injured at 1280 Roberts Ave. N.W. The child was taken by ambulance to a Warren hospital, then transferred to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, where she died, police said. Police said Ziegler would often baby-sit while the child's mother was working.
Ashley Croff, 19, the child's mother, lived at the Roberts address with her mother, police said.
sinkovich@vindy.com