Law director tells auditor to pay judge
WARREN -- Law Director Greg Hicks says the city's auditor should reimburse a municipal court judge for wallet photographs the judge had taken for court publications.
"Since there's a journal entry, I told him his obligation is to pay the bill," Hicks said.
Auditor David Griffing sought Hicks' opinion after a series of correspondence between himself and Judge Thomas Gysegem.
The judge sent a voucher last May asking for reimbursement of the $90.53 he spent for 16 wallet photos.
Griffing didn't pay, saying the city has never paid for wallet photos of any elected official and in September, the judge signed a journal entry ordering the reimbursement.
"I didn't rule on the propriety of the expenditure," Hicks said. "It simply said if there's a journal entry, you've got to pay it."
Since they're being paid with court money, the photos may only be used for official purposes, the law director said.