MAHONING COUNTY Gessner to run for Gains' job

YOUNGSTOWN -- Atty. Brad Gessner intends to run against Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains for the Democratic nomination for prosecutor next March.
Gessner is an assistant Summit County prosecutor and former Mahoning County prosecutor. The 43-year-old Austintown resident said he will take a leave of absence in January and February and challenge Gains in the March 2 Democratic primary.
Gessner said he disagrees with Gains' contention, as reported this week in The Vindicator, that assistant county prosecutors' private practices are no different than police who work side jobs. Police, Gessner said, don't work their side jobs while they're being paid by taxpayers.
Gains said that his assistant prosecutors who maintain a private practice do so on weekends and the work they do for the county is not affected. Also, if they're required in court for their private practice, they take time off from the county or have another attorney cover for them.
Gessner said he advocates saving money by having two full-time prosecutors cover the four county courts rather than four part-time prosecutors. This week, the Mahoning Valley Chiefs of Police Association advocated full-time prosecutors in the county courts.
The chiefs said that, because of overcrowded dockets, criminals receive reduced charges and plea-bargained sentences.