COLUMBIANA CO. Man goes on trial in girl's death

The remaining defendant is trying to have key evidence banned from his trial.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A plea agreement in an involuntary manslaughter case reduces the number of defendants and requires that a woman testify against her brother.
Joseph McCallister, 22, of Salem Township, was to go on trial today before Judge C. Ashley Pike of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court in the March 1, 2002 traffic death of Lisa Groner, 16, of Leetonia.
McCallister is one of three people charged in Groner's death, which authorities say occurred after she drank alcohol at a party and was driving home drunk.
McCallister is accused of furnishing the alcohol that Groner and four other underage people consumed.
McCallister's sister, Wanita Bolton, 30, and her husband, Travis Bolton, 31, both of Hanoverton, also were charged with involuntary manslaughter.
They are accused of providing a place for the party and knowingly allowing Groner and the four others to drink alcohol there.
Plea agreement
During a pretrial hearing Monday, the Boltons entered a plea agreement that will result in prosecutors' dropping the involuntary manslaughter charge against them, provided they testify against McCallister if asked.
As part of the deal, the Boltons pleaded guilty to five first-degree misdemeanor counts of allowing people ranging in age from 17 to 20 to drink alcohol at their home.
Assistant prosecutor Tammie Jones Riley recommended that the Boltons receive the maximum six months in jail and $1,000 fine penalty for each count. She also said prosecutors will not object if Judge Pike allows the sentences to be served at the same time instead of one after another.
Judge Pike set sentencing for 1 p.m. July 18.
No jury trial
At Monday's hearing, McCallister withdrew his request for a jury trial.
Judge Pike set a 9 a.m. hearing for today to hear a defense motion seeking to ban key blood-alcohol-level evidence that prosecutors want to use to demonstrate that Groner was intoxicated when she wrecked.
McCallister's lawyer, Dennis DiMartino of Youngstown, will argue the blood samples were improperly collected and maintained.
If McCallister is convicted, he faces a maximum five-year prison sentence.