Newton Falls law director files complaint against judge

NEWTON FALLS (AP) — A complaint filed with the Ohio Supreme Court accuses a northeast Ohio judge of wrongdoing for holding arraignments at a jail.

Newton Falls Law Director Richard Schwartz says city Judge Larry Turner is holding court proceedings outside his jurisdiction when he conducts them at the Trumbull County Jail in Warren.

The complaint was filed Tuesday on behalf of Schwartz. It says any actions taken by Turner at the county jail are outside the Newton Falls Municipal Court’s territory, have no force or effect and constitute a legal nullity.

Turner began the jailhouse arraignments in January in an effort to save the county money by eliminating the transportation of inmates between the jail and the courthouse. Critics had said deputies still transported other inmates.

Turner temporarily ended the jailhouse arraignments after about two weeks, citing security concerns and difficulty opening the proceedings to the public. He said he would work with the sheriff to overcome those problems.

The county also is working on video arraignments, which would allow Turner to sit in Newton Falls while communicating through video with inmates who remain at the jail. Such arraignments have been approved by the Ohio Supreme Court.