WARREN Club owner hires a lawyer to fight city

Police stopped the 77 Soul owner for speed but didn't say how fast he was driving.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The shutting down of a popular U.S. Route 422 hot spot is the continuation of harassment by city officials, an attorney says.
Atty. Gilbert Rucker says LaShawn Ziegler has been stopped by police numerous times, illegally strip-searched, and now has been shut down -- all since he began plans in 2002 to open 77 Soul.
Ziegler said he hired Rucker on Monday because he wants the harassment to stop and plans to take city officials to court.
Ziegler had previously filed a lawsuit in August stating he was illegally strip-searched by city police. The city settled that suit for about $26,000, city officials said.
"Last Tuesday Mr. Ziegler has a meeting with Mayor Michael O'Brien and city officials and they told him he is put on notice to address problems at the club," Rucker said.
Traffic stop
"The next day he is stopped by police officers for speed but the officers don't even put on the ticket how fast he was going," the lawyer added. "Don't they know how to write a ticket?"
Rucker believes the speeding ticket was the police officers' attempt to intimidate his client.
The officers, Tim Parana and Tim Ladner, could not be reached.
"When is this administration going to shut down the rogue policemen, instead of shutting down a business?" Rucker asked.
Police Chief John Mandopoulos says a speeding ticket normally has the speed on which the offender was traveling written on the ticket.
"I really don't have time to mess with traffic tickets because my day is filled with taking care of public records requests," the chief said today.
Traci Timko-Rose, an assistant city prosecutor, said that according to the court computer, Ziegler was traveling 50 mph in a 35 mph zone. She doesn't know why the speed was not entered on the ticket.
Chris Taneyhill, the city's chief building official, delivered a citation order Friday to Ziegler informing him that the business is shut down.
The reason
Taneyhill said that an inspection he did last week revealed that the building's use had changed from a restaurant to a nightclub. It operates at night, features entertainment and charges admission, Taneyhill said.
That, combined with the square footage and number of people who can be in the building, requires it to have a sprinkler system or firewalls. It doesn't.
To be in compliance with building codes, Ziegler would have to submit documents showing the change from a restaurant to a nightclub, according to Taneyhill's order. Besides the addition of fire protective equipment, inspections to determine the building's weight capacity and other issues also would have to be completed.
"He has been operating the same way since he opened in August 2002," Rucker maintained.
Ziegler plans to appeal Taneyhill's order to the Ohio Board of Building Appeals. He has 30 days to do it.
Ziegler, who had booked and paid for acts scheduled for last weekend, estimated that he'd lose between $15,000 and $40,000 over 30 days of closure.
Police have been called to the establishment several times over the last year for numerous complaints, including a stabbing.
sinkovich@vindy.com