Judge seals criminal record of police chief

Associated Press

CANTON

A judge has sealed the record of an Ohio police chief convicted of a misdemeanor stemming from accusations he had sex with a teenager while on duty.

John Marra pleaded no contest to dereliction of duty in 2008 and resigned as a Uniontown police officer. He was sentenced to two years of probation.

Marra, 37, is now the police chief of Brady Lake in Northeastern Ohio.

Court records say Marra, then 31, had sex while on duty with a girl when she was 16 and 17. He was never formally charged with a sexual offense.

Over the objections of prosecutors and at Marra’s request, Judge John Poulos sealed Marra’s conviction Thursday, meaning it will no longer appear in public court records.

Poulus said it appeared that Marra’s conviction qualified to be sealed under law.

Prosecutors who argued against sealing the record said Marra should be held to a higher standard, considering his position.