Judge agrees to time extension in Oakhill conspiracy case

CLEVELAND — The judge overseeing the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal conspiracy case agreed to give attorneys for two of the defendants more time to prepare arguments about the trial’s location.

In a two-sentence journal entry, Judge Janet R. Burnside of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court granted the deadline for filing pretrial motions in this case for 60 days after prosecutors submit their notice of what evidence they may use. Her entry was recorded at that county’s clerk of courts office at 7:18 a.m. today.

The attorneys for Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally and Mahoning County Michael V. Sciortino, both Democrats, wrote in identical motions filed Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 that they hadn’t had adequate time to review 354 secret recordings, most an hour or two long, that prosecutors plan to use as evidence.

The defense wanted 60 days to review the evidence from the time all the tapes and documents from prosecutors are given to them to determine if that will help them decide if they will file a motion seeking to move the case from Cuyahoga County.

In a Tuesday response, prosecutors said they didn’t oppose the request.

Mark Lavelle, attorney for Martin Yavorcik, the other defendant in this case, didn’t file an objection to the location of the case.

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com