UPDATE | Martin Desmond fired as assistant Mahoning County prosecutor

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains has fired his longtime assistant criminal prosecutor, Martin P. Desmond, effective today, after having placed him on paid administrative leave March 23.

Gains announced the dismissal in a news conference this afternoon.

“He had discussions concerning a case that he was not involved with, with others outside the office. That’s a violation of my policy,” Gains explained.

“He denied doing the research. Westlaw records show he did it,” Gains said, referring to the computer research tool for lawyers that Desmond used to research the civil law claims that appeared in a federal lawsuit filed against the county.

A federal judge has said she will dismiss that lawsuit.

The research was performed on the county’s Westlaw account, Gains said.

Desmond, who prosecuted major murder and drug cases in recent years, joined the county in 2004.

Gains said everyone in his office serves at his pleasure, and he has the authority to dismiss any of his employees, as long as doing so doesn’t violate any law.