Elections board to ask Trumbull prosecutor for opinion related to sheriff candidate

Staff report

WARREN

The Trumbull County Board of Elections has asked the prosecutor’s office to determine whether an apparent snag related to the candidacy of Democrat Joseph O’Grady to be sheriff will hamper his ability to run.

O’Grady said Thursday he went to the office of Judge Andrew Logan of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court regarding an affidavit that has to be filed with the board of elections indicating O’Grady meets the minimum qualifications to be sheriff.

O’Grady said the judge’s office has to mail the affidavit to the elections board, but it may have gotten lost in the mail. O’Grady, who retired as a sergeant with the Warren Police Department in January 2014 after 28 years with the department, said he meets all of the qualifications.

But Stephanie Penrose, elections board director, and Alan Shaker, deputy director, called The Vindicator late Thursday saying the matter “will be reviewed” and presented to the elections board. They declined to discuss whether there was a chance the issue could derail O’Grady’s candidacy.

Ohio law says a candidate for sheriff must have a high school diploma, no felony record, peace-officer certificate or related experience, two years of law-enforcement supervisory experience or a bachelor’s degree in any field or associate’s degree in law enforcement, and other qualifications.

A candidate for sheriff “shall swear before the administrative judge of the court of common pleas as to the truth of any information the person provides to verify the person’s qualifications for the office,” Ohio law says.

The candidate must give qualification information to the judge, “who shall forward them ... to the appropriate board of elections” or other body, the statute says.

The deadline to file nominating petitions with the elections board was Wednesday.

O’Grady, 58, is perhaps best known as founder of David Grohl Alley in Warren’s downtown.