Girard law director contest flares up

GIRARD — Pre-election chatter about the city law director’s race is at an all-time high, but one candidate says stories about his past are unfair and not exactly true.

Information about Harry DePietro’s spending eight months in a Florida jail for assault, battery, criminal mischief and shooting into a building was anonymously sent to The Vindicator and has been circulating in the community.

DePietro is running against incumbent Mark Standohar for law director.

DePietro concedes that he was jailed on the charges. He explained the allegations were levied against him during a divorce in 1999. He said there was no conviction, but he did sit in a Florida jail from August 1999 to April 2000 because his ex-wife depleted the bank accounts and he could not make bail.