Ex-Judge Cronin feels sharp sting of the law

Add the name Maureen Cronin to the long list of Mahoning Valley officeholders who have fallen from grace and betrayed the trust of the people.

Cronin, a former Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge and former Youngstown city prosecutor, will soon begin serving a 27-month sentence in a federal penitentiary. But even after she has done her time, she will carry a burden as the first female judge in the history of Mahoning County — who ultimately ended up being no better than some of the men who preceded her.

They all used their public positions for personal gain.

There have been other members of the bench who were afflicted by black robe fever: Martin Emrich, Patrick Kerrigan, Fred Bailey and Andrew Polovischak.

Then there have been those from the criminal justice system who wound up being criminals themselves: Former county Prosecutor James A. Philomena and former county Sheriff Phil Chance, and Richard Goldberg, Stuart Banks, Lawrence Sedita, Michael Rich and Jack Campbell, high-riding lawyers in their heydays.

And, of course, there’s former Congressman James A. Traficant Jr., who served seven years in federal prison after being convicted of 10 criminal charges including racketeering, bribery and tax evasion.

In slapping Cronin with the maximum sentence possible under the federal sentencing guidelines, U.S. District Court Judge Sara Lioi said the former judge committed a grave breach of trust and betrayed the public she served.

Felony charges

Cronin pleaded guilty to two federal felony charges stemming from an $18,000 no-interest cash “loan” from a senior executive of a local company that had cases pending in her court.

Judge Lioi identified Flora Cafaro, a part-owner of the Cafaro Co., one of the leading shopping center developers in the country, and sister to Anthony Sr., until recently president of the company, and John J. “J.J.”, who recently stepped down from his position as executive vice president.

J.J. Cafaro is a convicted felon who last week agreed to plead guilty to another federal crime, making an illegal contribution to the congressional campaign of his daughter, Capri. His court appearance has not been scheduled.

Cronin, during her sentencing Tuesday, told Judge Lioi that she accepted “complete responsibility” for her behavior. She did explain that her life spun out of control after her mother and her long-time companion died within a year of each other.

Although the judge was sympathetic, she made it clear that Cronin’s behavior while on the bench demanded the maximum punishment.

Perhaps the judge’s 27 months behind bars will serve as a warning to other officeholders, but past prosecutions have provided no guarantees.

There is an on-going investigation of the battle over the relocation of the county’s Job and Family Services agency from Garland Plaza, owned by the Cafaro Co., to Oakhill Renaissance Place, owned by the county.

The grand jury’s investigation has the potential for giving the region another black eye.