Pritchard sent to driver intervention

The attorney’s law license was suspended by the Ohio Supreme Court last Tuesday.

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN — Warren “Bo” Pritchard was ordered to attend a driver-intervention program as the result of a probation violation.

Pritchard, 53, who is an Austintown Township trustee, was in Mahoning County Area Court here Monday. Judge David D’Apolito ordered him to report for the program Thursday, and to ensure he completes the program, Pritchard must attend a compliance hearing in Austintown court at 6 p.m. Monday, said his attorney, John Juhasz.

A driver intervention is a 72-hour residential program certified by the state of Ohio. It’s offered as an alternative to incarceration for someone arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the Web site duiintervention.com.

The probation violation stemmed from a plea agreement made after Pritchard was charged with physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in June 2008, according to court documents. No one from the court was available Monday to comment on what part of his probation Pritchard supposedly violated, and Juhasz said he didn’t know.

The plea agreement stated Pritchard was sentenced in December 2008 to 30 days in jail with 27 days suspended. He was initially able to attend a driver- intervention program in lieu of the jail time.

Pritchard also had his law license suspended last Tuesday by the Ohio Supreme Court. A court document stated that Pritchard “engaged in conduct that violates the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct and poses substantial threat of serious harm to the public.”

The suspension issued by the court means he won’t be able to re- register until the state completes an investigation into allegations of misconduct made by the Mahoning County Bar Association.