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Judge in Oakhill case postpones today’s pretrial hearing
CLEVELAND
The judge in the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal corruption case is honoring a request from the attorneys for the defendants to postpone a pretrial hearing today.
Lynn A. Maro and John B. Juhasz — who represent defendants Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally and ex-Mahoning County Auditor Michael V. Sciortino, respectively — asked for the delay Wednesday because their work as defense attorneys in a federal trial in Cleveland is taking up their time.
Judge Janet R. Burnside of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court said Thursday she agreed to continue the hearing until at least April 6, but hasn’t yet determined the date for the next pretrial.
The judge previously granted a monthlong extension to the attorneys to file motions challenging the trial location in Cuyahoga County for the same reason. April 3 is the new deadline to submit those challenges.
Maro and Juhasz are defending attorney Scott Cochran in federal court in Cleveland. Cochran is charged with violating the Hobbs Act, which is extortion by the wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence or fear; tampering with a witness, victim or informant; and making false statements to law enforcement.
Mark Lavelle — lawyer for attorney Martin Yavorcik, who is the third defendant in the Oakhill case — didn’t file anything with the court seeking a delay in arguing if Cuyahoga County is the appropriate venue for this trial. He also didn’t file an objection to having the case there.
The indictment contends most of the purported crimes occurred in Mahoning County, but some supposedly happened in Cuyahoga County.
Prosecutors contend only one element of a single offense is needed to have occurred in Cuyahoga County for it to be the appropriate venue for this case.
McNally and Sciortino, both Democrats, and Yavorcik, a failed 2008 independent candidate for Mahoning County prosecutor, are accused of 83 criminal counts including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, conspiracy, tampering with records, perjury and money laundering. The three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A May 14, 2014, indictment accuses them of being part of a criminal enterprise with numerous others that tried to impede or stop the move of the Mahoning County Department of Job and Family Services from the Cafaro Co.-owned Garland Plaza on the East Side to Oakhill Renaissance Place, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center on Oak Hill Avenue on the South Side.