Oakhill case set for trial in March 2016

CLEVELAND — The judge in the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal-corruption case set a trial date for March 1, 2016, about 22 months after the three defendants were indicted and more than a decade after the alleged crimes supposedly started.

Judge Janet R. Burnside of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court had a brief pretrial hearing today with attorneys representing the prosecution and the defendants — Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally, ex-Mahoning County Auditor Michael V. Sciortino and failed 2008 independent county prosecutor candidate Martin Yavorcik.

At today’s hearing, the first since Dec. 22, the judge set the trial date.

The date was confirmed by Dan Tierney, spokesman for the Ohio attorney general. The AG and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s offices are the prosecutors on this case.

Mark Lavelle, attorney for Yavorcik, declined to comment. Attempts by The Vindicator to reach Lynn A. Maro and John B. Juhasz, who represent McNally and Sciortino, respectively, were unsuccessful today.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com