Judge denies paper's request for disclosure

Maggie Lorenzi, a block-watch leader, said no one asked for her group's opinion.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Juvenile Court Judge Theresa Dellick has denied a Vindicator request for disclosure of addresses of 33 juveniles charged with participating in a criminal gang.
Judge Dellick conducted a hearing Friday on The Vindicator's request and issued her ruling Wednesday.
The Vindicator's lawyer, David L. Marburger of Cleveland, argued at the hearing that The Vindicator needs the defendants' addresses to identify them precisely and accurately to its readers and differentiate them from others with the same or similar names.
Marburger declined to comment on Judge Dellick's ruling.
The juvenile court had released the names and ages of the defendants, but not their addresses. Court Administrator Anthony D'Apolito declined to release the addresses because of what he said were concerns for the safety of neighbors and of other members of the defendants' families.
Public-safety argument
Although three defense lawyers at the hearing did not object to the addresses' being released, several others argued against the release for what they said were public safety reasons.
"The targeting of specific neighborhoods for violence based upon misuse of this information must be considered," Judge Dellick stated in the ruling.
"Particularly in the context of alleged gang activity, the court finds that such potential exists and that the public safety interest is greater than the public interest in disclosure of the street names," she said in the ruling.
She said the county prosecutor's office made it clear that release of the street addresses would pose a threat to an ongoing gang investigation, and that criminal gang activities involve drive-by shootings and witness intimidation.
Other information released
Judge Dellick said the newspaper failed to show it would be unable to identify accurately those charged by using information other than the street names of the juveniles and their families. She said her court has provided the ages of the charged juveniles and can provide the quadrant of the city where the charged juveniles live, and that combined information should sufficiently identify the juveniles to "avoid the inaccuracy which The Vindicator speculates may occur."
She said providing ages and the area where the juveniles live would also protect the juveniles, their families, others living on the same street and anyone who might be intimidated or harmed.
The request involves 33 youths who are alleged to be members of the South Side Soldiers, L Unit (for Lucius Avenue) and Dale Boys (for Auburndale and Avondale avenues). The youths, ages 12 to 20, were arrested last month by a local, state and federal law enforcement task force. Eleven of the group are now 18 or older, but were juveniles at the time of the alleged offense.
Resident's reaction
Meanwhile, Maggie Lorenzi, president of the South Side's Southern Block Watch, said no one asked for her group's opinion on the release of information.
Lorenzi said the attorneys at the hearing on the newspaper's request "were all supposing what the people want, but people living in the area have the right to know," she said. "We're tired of decisions being made and nobody asks us."
She said the group wants to know about the violence in their neighborhoods and are mobilizing for a door-to-door campaign next week.
Lorenzi said members plan to ask residents if they would want to know the addresses of the alleged gang members, and if they would be willing to tell block watch members where crime problem areas are on their block.
"We want to go door-to-door because we want to know what the people want," she said.
She said plans are to canvass Lucius, Avondale and Auburndale avenues between Southern Boulevard and South Avenue.
Sees increase in violence
Lorenzi said South Side violence has escalated in the past eight years.
"It's nothing to go to bed at night on Midlothian and hear gunfire just about every night," she said. "Criminals know what to do, and when."
As an example, she said robberies in the area have taken place when Youngstown police were on shift change.
Lorenzi was disappointed to learn Judge Dellick had ruled on The Vindicator's request Wednesday. She said she was trying to reach Judge Dellick to ask her not to rule until after the block watch gathered its information.
She said the judge's decision won't change her group's plans to query neighbors.
"It's perfect timing, and maybe we can mobilize and get more people interested in the block watch," she said.