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Hearing on massage parlors is postponed
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Warren Law Director Greg Hicks, right, on Monday said he thanks the Ohio Attorney General’s office for conducting the yearlong investigation into massage parlors’ activities in the city and thanked the public for “being patient” while a thorough investigation was conducted. With him is Al Bansky of the attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
A hearing that was scheduled for Monday morning in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to determine whether a judge would keep eight massage parlors closed has been postponed until 9 a.m. next Monday.
Fourteen of the 15 “johns” who were ordered to attend the hearing and testify regarding their activities at the parlors were in attendance.
The attorneys, investigators and defendants in the case also attended, but one of the attorneys pointed out that two of the massage parlors had not received sufficient advance notice of Monday’s hearing.
Atty. Dan Keating told Judge W. Wyatt McKay that two of the parlors he represents received their notices Thursday and Friday of last week, which was not early enough under Ohio law.
The eight massage parlors were closed down after a May 30 raid that followed a yearlong investigation that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said uncovered “a ton” of prostitution.
Greg Hicks, Warren law director, said Wednesday the 15 customers are expected to attend a session of the Trumbull County grand jury and assert their 5th Amendment rights.
At next week’s hearing, each man likely will receive a promise of immunity from prosecution for testifying truthfully at the hearing regarding his activities at the parlors, Hicks said.
Judge McKay said he has reserved both Monday and Tuesday for the hearings in case if it takes that long.
Atty. Jeff Goodman, representing the Gemini Spa, said his clients had no objection to moving forward with the hearing Monday, but Judge McKay said it “makes sense” to hear testimony regarding all eight parlors at once.
Judge McKay said that when the hearing is complete, he could either rule on a preliminary injunction on whether to keep the parlors closed or provide a final order.
For the next week, the eight parlors will remain under the temporary restraining order he granted earlier that closed the parlors down.
Hicks, in an interview after the canceled hearing, said he thanks the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for conducting the investigation into the parlors’ activities and thanked the public for “being patient” while a thorough investigation was conducted.
One of the 15 “johns” did not appear at the hearing, Hicks said, because he was out of the country. Presumably he will be available next week, Hicks said.
Most of the 14 others sat in the courtroom waiting for more than an hour for the hearing to begin. They were photographed by the news media and later left the courthouse after being advised of the grand jury proceedings Wednesday.