By Peter H. Milliken

milliken@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

Maureen O’Connor, chief justice of Ohio, wants to discuss consolidation of Mahoning County’s lower courts and judgeships, and she is willing to travel here to meet with local officials about it.

“To aid in setting a date and to reduce costs, the chief justice has also indicated she is willing to come to Youngstown for the meeting,” wrote Steven C. Hollon, the top court’s administrative director, in a letter dated Feb. 7.

Hollon was responding to a letter from Atty. David J. Betras, chairman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, urging that top court officials meet with city and county officials and state legislators from the Mahoning Valley to discuss revamping the county’s lower courts.

Hollon’s letter said the chief justice has suggested Monday, Feb. 27, or March 22, 26, 27, 28 or 29 for such a meeting.

Copies of Hollon’s letter went to state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, state Reps. Robert Hagan and Ron Gerberry; the three county commissioners; all of Mahoning County’s municipal and area court judges; Mark Munroe, Mahoning County Republican Party chairman; city officials; and county bar association officials.

Although it prompted the Betras letter, a pending Ohio Supreme Court case the justices and top court officials are barred from discussing will be off limits during the meeting, Hollon said. That case is the lawsuit by the Youngstown municipal judges against Youngstown City Council for funding of a new municipal court facility.

Betras wrote to the chief justice after he learned last month that the top court had appointed Andrew Campbell, a master commissioner in the top court’s legal resources office, to receive evidence and make rulings in that lawsuit.

“I suggest we forge ahead with a bolder plan,” for countywide lower court reorganization, Betras wrote.

“In a time when budgets and tax dollars are stretched to the limits, we must ensure the best system at the least cost. The current system falls woefully short. Consolidation is the only viable economic solution,” Betras wrote.

Betras noted that Mahoning County’s lower courts have nine judges in seven locations. Youngstown Municipal Court has three full-time judges for a population of 67,000, he noted.

However, Boardman and Austintown have a combined population greater than that of the city, but the county courts serving those townships each has one part-time judge, he added.

In a survey, Mahoning County Bar Association members “overwhelmingly’’ said they believe the lower court system here needs to be reorganized, Betras wrote.

“I’m thrilled. ... The involvement of the chief justice is going to be of great assistance to us in trying to get something done on the court consolidation issue,” said Scott Cochran, past president of the Mahoning County Bar Association. “I look forward to working with whatever group gets assembled to meet with her,” he added.

“We hoped that after the [court consolidation] study was done that the political people who need to be involved in this would take action,” he said.

The bar association-sponsored study done by the National Center for State Courts of Williamsburg, Va., recommended administrative and location consolidation of Mahoning County’s lower courts.