OAKHILL LIVE | Yavorcik asks jurors about Youngstown reputation

CLEVELAND - Martin Yavorcik, a failed 2008 Mahoning County prosecutor candidate charged with 11 felonies, told potential jurors in a Cleveland court that he is concerned that some will have a negative feeling about him because of Youngstown's poor reputation.

"Youngstown is not portrayed in the best light, right?" Yavorcik said to the potential jurors today. Most nodded their heads in agreement.

Yavorcik, the final Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal-corruption case defendant to not plead guilty, also asked if the 29 potential jurors had a problem with politicians and lawyers.

"It's important because I'm from Youngstown who's a lawyer who ran for political office," he said.

Leigh Bayer, an Ohio assistant attorney general, said the jury would hear from people with criminal records, some who struck plea deals with prosecutors. She asked potential jurors to not hold that against them.

She used an analogy with pirates," saying, "If a crime occurs on a pirate ship, would you believe a pirate who testified?"

Bayer said not all pirates are bad.

A jury of 12 with 4 alternates were chosen about 2:30 p.m. after the judge, Yavorcik and prosecutors questioned them for about seven hours between Monday and today.

Judge Janet R. Burnside of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, who is overseeing the trial, did much of the questioning.

Those 16 were chosen from 29 potential jurors.

This is the second day of the trial.

Opening statements are to start shortly. The first witness for the prosecution will be FBI special agent Wallace Sines.

Judge Burnside said she expects the trial to be finished by the end of next week, possibly stretching into a third week.

Yavorcik's two co-defendants - Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally and ex-Mahoning County Auditor Michael V. Sciortino, both Democrats - took deals Feb. 26 before the start of the trial.

Yavorcik faces 11 felonies: one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, one count of conspiracy, three counts of bribery, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of tampering with records.

Prosecutors contend Yavorcik is part of a criminal conspiracy that illegally tried to stop or impede the relocation of the Mahoning County Job and Family Services Department from Garland Plaza, owned by a Cafaro Co. subsidiary, to Oakhill Renaissance Place, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center owned by the county.

However, Yavorcik had nothing to do with trying to stop that move.

Prosecutors contend members of the criminal enterprise - including McNally; Sciortino; Antonini; Anthony Cafaro Sr., the former head of his family-owned Cafaro Co. retail property development business; and Cafaro's sister, Flora, a company executive - illegally gave money to Yavorcik.

In exchange, prosecutors say Yavorcik ran as an independent in 2008 for Mahoning County prosecutor so that if he won, he wouldn't prosecute or investigate anyone in the criminal enterprise. He lost by 38 percentage points to incumbent Democrat Paul J. Gains. Prosecutors also accuse Yavorcik of filing false campaign finance reports.

For more updates, follow Vindy.com and for the complete story read Wednesday's Vindicator.