Lawsuit is game changer in Trumbull sheriff’s race

We were on the verge of endorsing Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas Altiere for the Democratic Party nomination in the March 15 primary when a federal civil- rights lawsuit was filed against county officials, including the sheriff and a former jail corrections officer.

While it’s very early in the legal process, the allegations by two former female inmates do give pause. Michele L. Raferty of Niles and Katie L. Sherman of Madison, Ohio, claim that they were exploited for sexual gratification by former corrections Officer Charles Drennen.

But the suit also says that Altiere, Lt. Eric Shay, supervisor of the jail, and others “perpetuated negligent and retention practices” and failed to institute proper training and supervision practices.

In response, the sheriff contends that his department conducted an internal affairs investigation after learning of the allegations in May 2014, spoke to Drennen and wanted him to take a lie-detector test, but the corrections officer resigned.

The suit before U.S. District Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson in Youngstown also alleges that the defendants “have established a pattern and practice of strip-searching and a perpetuation of sexual misconduct” against female inmates.

Altiere, who is completing 22 years as sheriff, told The Vindicator that jail policies require probable cause and written authorization from a supervisor for any strip search.

That may well be, but we have no way of knowing if the plaintiffs, Raferty and Sherman, have evidence that would refute the sheriff’s contention.

What we do have, however, are other cases in which jail employees were terminated or resigned.

Recently, a corrections officer was fired for buying street drugs, while another quit in 2009 after his girlfriend said he used heroin with her. Former Chief Deputy Don Guarino resigned in 2013 after the Ohio Ethics Commission found that he improperly made decisions that affected the pay for his son, a deputy.

Finally, a jailer was fired in 2011 and sentenced to 30 days in the Ashtabula County jail after he had sex with a female inmate while on the job.

Given that the sheriff, under the Ohio Revised Code, has two main responsibilities, operating the county jail and serving court papers, the federal lawsuit against Trumbull County, with Altiere as one of the main defendants, does speak to his tenure in office.

As we said at the outset, we were on the verge of endorsing his re-election bid but now believe there’s too much uncertainty surrounding the management of the jail.

A SECOND LOOK AT MONROE

Therefore, we’ve taken a second look at Altiere’s challenger for the Democratic nomination for sheriff, Paul Monroe, who has served 13 years as Howland Township police chief. We find that he has the qualifications and the experience to serve as sheriff. Indeed, he would be following in Altiere’s footsteps, given that the incumbent was Howland’s police chief from 1984 to 1993, when he sought to move up.

There is a news story on the front page of today’s paper that details each candidate’s platform and his arguments for election. The story also focuses on the criticisms each one has of the other.

The information was gleaned from questionnaires filled out by Altiere and Monroe and also from interviews conducted by The Vindicator’s Editorial Board.

It should be noted that the interviews took place before the federal civil-rights lawsuit was filed. Nonetheless, the operation of the county jail was a major topic of discussion, with the sheriff arguing that he has been proactive in getting rid of employees who have failed to adhere to the standards he has established.

But Monroe counters that the sheriff has hired his cronies and political allies, which explains the staffing upheaval in the office.

The police chief from Howland says he will not hire friends or political supporters and will have a special screening committee to review the applications and select the finalists for the jobs that need to be filled.

After more than two decades as Trumbull County’s top cop, Altiere does have the advantage in the race with regard to his experience and knowledge. However, the uncertainty surrounding his tenure as a result of the lawsuit cannot be ignored.

The Vindicator, therefore, endorses Monroe for the Democratic Party nomination.

The nominee will not have Republican opposition in the general election.