The plan includes changing to full-time judges and consolidating the area courts.

The plan includes changing to full-time judges and consolidating the area courts.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County officials agree that the time has come to again consider overhauling the county's misdemeanor court system.
They aren't quite sure why the overhaul, which has been bandied about since 2000, hasn't already been done.
"It seemed like it was on the fast track," said Atty. Mark Huberman, chairman of the county's corrections planning board. "It seemed like we were moving, and now all that's kind of constipated."
The county has area courts in Austintown, Boardman, Canfield and Sebring whose judges serve part time. The courts hear primarily traffic offenses, misdemeanor criminal cases and small-claim civil matters.
About three years ago, county officials started looking into major changes. They wanted to make the judgeships full-time and reduce the number from four to three.
The plan also called for the consolidation of the courts into one central building.
The plan moved steadily forward, slowing long enough for the corrections planning board to invite Campbell and Struthers municipal courts to join in.
After those cities declined to participate, the planning board chose to go ahead with its original plan, beginning with changing to full-time judges.
What was tried
Because judicial terms are established by Ohio law, legislation is required to make the change. The planning board drafted a resolution and sent it to commissioners, who were to endorse it and send it to state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, to introduce in Columbus.
"It seems to have fallen off the face of the earth," Hagan said. "The concern for it seems to have dwindled. I'm sorry that it fell through."
Neither Hagan, Huberman nor Richard Billak of Community Corrections Association knew why the project stalled in the commissioners' office. Billak serves as the corrections planning board's secretary.
"Quite frankly, I don't know what the problem is," said Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock. "As far as I knew, we were ready to move forward with it."
Commissioner Ed Reese said commissioners held off because they wanted to conduct hearings to gather public input before making changes.
The hearings never were scheduled because commissioners got caught up in dealing with the county's dire financial situation. They were especially busy last year campaigning for passage of a 0.5 percent sales tax, which failed in May but passed in November.
The court restructuring got pushed onto the back burner last year and has been cooling there ever since, Reese said.
But a recent statement by the Mahoning Valley Chiefs of Police Association has the planning board hoping that commissioners will reactivate the plan and begin the reform process.
Reform sought
The police chiefs called for sweeping reform of the county's criminal justice system, which they said "is inadequate to administer justice in a county that has the highest per-capita homicide and gun violence rate in the entire state of Ohio."
Their recommendations included restructuring and proper staffing of Mahoning municipal and county courts.
Having part-time prosecutors and judges who have full-time practices is "just looking for trouble," said Beaver Police Chief Carl N. Frost, association chairman. Scheduling 85 cases for a three-hour period twice a week in county courts such as Boardman results in plea bargains, not trials, he said.
"I think it ought to get back on track, and this is a good reason to do it," Huberman said.
He intends to call a meeting soon with the corrections planning board to revisit the plan and see whether any adjustments are needed.
County Administrator Gary Kubic said commissioners had started looking for a building to house the courts for an eventual consolidation but stopped after the county court judges told them to put on the brakes.
Judge Joseph Houser, who serves as administrative judge for the county courts, said Ohio law gives judges, not commissioners, the authority to determine where the courts are located.
He said all the judges asked was that commissioners slow down the process and include them in any discussions and planning for a possible consolidation.
"All we said is that we want to be part of the process," Judge Houser said.
Hagan said it's critical to move forward with the plan because he believes it would result in a cost savings for the county.
"We need to start saving some money," Hagan said, noting that he's still willing to carry the legislation to Columbus for changing to full-time judges.
A performance audit of county government, done last year by the Ohio Auditor's Office, said eliminating the current lease payments and related building costs and going with one central court could save the county about $255,000 a year.
"I absolutely think we need to do this," Sherlock said.