County files motion in prisoner lawsuit

YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County has filed a motion to dismiss the City of Youngstown's request to intervene in a federal lawsuit by inmates concerning jail conditions.
U.S. District Judge David D. Dowd Jr. has been overseeing jail operations since March 2005, when he determined that the lockup was overcrowded and unsafe after inmates filed the class action suit in November 2003.
Judge Dowd, U.S. District Judge Dan A. Polster and U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alice M. Batchelder are to issue orders soon concerning inmate releases to avoid jail overcrowding.
Last week, the city filed its motion to intervene in the lawsuit and oppose existing or future prisoner release orders.
In her motion, which was filed Wednesday, Assistant County Prosecutor Linette M. Stratford asked that the city's intervention request be dismissed because it "failed to file a pleading setting forth a claim or defense for which intervention is sought" and made controversial allegations that aren't part of the court record.
Stratford didn't cite any examples of such allegations in her dismissal motion.