43
Yavorcik lawyers ask to withdraw as counsel in Oakhill case
Atty. Martin Yavorcik wants to represent himself
CLEVELAND
The lawyers for Atty. Martin Yavorcik, one of the three defendants in the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal conspiracy case, asked a judge to withdraw as his legal counsel.
Yavorcik wants to represent himself, according to the legal filing.
The motion came from Jennifer J. Scott and William L. Summers, who have represented Yavorcik, who was indicted May 14 with Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally and Mahoning County Auditor Michael V. Sciortino.
The latter two are Democrats, and Yavorcik is an independent who unsuccessfully ran for county prosecutor in 2008.
Judge Janet R. Burnside of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, who is overseeing this case, hadn’t decided as of Tuesday on the request.
The motion from Scott and Summers doesn’t explain why they want to withdraw from the case. Attempts on Tuesday to reach the attorneys and Yavorcik by The Vindicator weren’t successful.
Yavorcik, McNally and Sciortino are accused of being involved in a conspiracy to impede the move of the Mahoning County Department of Job and Family Services from the then-Cafaro-Co.-owned Garland Plaza on Youngstown’s East Side to Oakhill Renaissance Place, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center.
The three are among 23 people involved in a purported criminal enterprise that traded money and other financial benefits for political favors, lied under oath to protect business interests and had an agreement to fix legal cases, according to the indictment.
Yavorcik is accused of accepting money from an unnamed businessman — who is likely Anthony M. Cafaro Sr., former head of the Cafaro Co. retail development business — and others in exchange for agreeing to not investigate or prosecute members of the enterprise if he were elected Mahoning County prosecutor in 2008.
The three have pleaded not guilty to 83 total counts, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and tampering with records.
McNally is accused of criminal acts in his former capacity as county commissioner.
At the May 29 arraignment, Yavorcik, a criminal defense attorney, said, “I want the truth to come out. We’ve only seen one half. This is what they’re alleging. It isn’t what’s true. We’ll see what’s true in court.”