Driver charged with trying to bribe officer

Driver charged with trying to bribe officer

WARREN

A 20-year-old Kenilworth Avenue man learned the hard way that offering a police officer $10 to make a traffic ticket go away is no joke. Justin Bennett was turning from Vine Avenue to Belmont Street just before 2 a.m. Friday when officer Brian Martinek saw that Bennett’s Ford Expedition had only one working headlight. Martinek stopped the vehicle, and while he was questioning Bennett about ownership of the vehicle, “Bennett said, ‘I will just give you $10,’” Martinek said. “He again said he was going to be out of town in the morning and just wanted to take care of it now because the ticket would not be more than $10,” Martinek wrote in the police report.

Bennett pleaded innocent Tuesday in Warren Municipal Court to bribery, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison upon conviction. He was released on $1,000 bond. He returns to court next Wednesday on headlight and seat-belt citations.

Special board session

Girard

There will be a special meeting of the Girard board of education at 5 p.m. today at the board office, 704 E. Prospect St. The purpose of this meeting is to consider placing an employee on unpaid administrative leave and any other business that may come before the board.