Valley attorneys aid in Chardon suspect’s case

Staff report

CHARDON

The 17-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of three Chardon High School students has retained three private defense lawyers, two of them from Mahoning County.

T.J. Lane is charged with fatally shooting Demetrius Hewlin and Daniel Parmertor, both 16, and Russell King, 17, on March 6 in the high school cafeteria. Two other students were hospitalized after the shooting.

The lead defense lawyer, Robert N. Farinacci of Concord, is being assisted by Attys. Mark J. Lavelle of Boardman and Theresa Tolson of Beloit. All three received their law degrees from the University of Akron.

A lawyer since 1993, Lavelle practices in a variety of areas, including bankruptcy, business, criminal, divorce, estate planning, family, general civil, injury, real estate, workers’ compensation and government and administrative law.

In 2005, Lavelle’s law license was suspended by the Ohio Supreme Court for 18 months, with 12 months stayed, because the top court said he neglected the case of a client who hired him to prepare documents for a marriage dissolution and failed to properly supervise his staff in document preparation in a second case.

A lawyer since 1997, Tolson specializes in divorce and family law and has undergone no professional discipline.

In 2009, Farinacci was publicly censured in Tennessee for representing clients and making court filings while he was under law license suspension for failure to complete continuing legal education requirements there.

On the basis of the Tennessee Supreme Court censure, the Ohio Supreme Court publicly reprimanded him in March 2010.

A lawyer since 1998, Farinacci practices in business, constitutional, criminal, entertainment, sports, equine and general civil law.

Lane will have a hearing Tuesday, after which Judge Timothy J. Grendell of Geauga County Juvenile Court will decide whether Lane should be bound over to the county grand jury for trial as an adult.