Detective not in trouble for talking to reporter

Staff report

youngstown

A detective in the case of a police officer accused of harassing women is not in contempt of court for discussing the case with a newspaper reporter.

Detective Sgt. Jeff Lewis of the Milton Township Police Department appeared Friday before Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas Judge R. Scott Krichbaum to show cause as to why he should not be held in contempt of court for talking to an Alliance Review reporter about the case.

Lewis investigated complaints by two women against Jeff Christy that he pulled them over several times to harass them sexually while he was on duty as a reserve officer in the township.

Christy was indicted March 31 on one count of menacing by stalking and one count of gross sexual imposition involving a Beloit woman in 2008 and one count of menacing by stalking involving a Lake Milton woman between December 2008 and April 2009.

Judge Krichbaum ordered the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office on April 14 to instruct investigating officers not to talk about the case with the media.

An article appeared in the Alliance Review April 15 that used Lewis as a source.

Christy’s attorney, Anthony Meranto, filed a motion to show cause why Lewis shouldn’t be held in contempt of court for violating Judge Krichbaum’s order.

Meranto withdrew his motion Friday. After conferring with the prosecution, he said he learned Lewis spoke to the newspaper reporter April 10, even though the story didn’t run until April 15.

He said he was satisfied that “no information was provided to anybody subsequent to the 14th.”

Christy quit his job in Milton Township. He is a part-time Lowellville police officer and is on unpaid leave from that department.