New lawyer in murder case

YOUNGSTOWN

Judge Maureen Sweeney granted a motion by the attorney for Paul Brown, 39, to be removed from the case and appointed a new attorney, Mark Lavelle, to represent him.

A trial date of April 16 has been set for Brown, who is charged in the May 2009, murder of Ashten Jackson, who was found in a field on the East Side.

The trial has been delayed several times by mistrials and appeals.

Tony Meranto, Brown’s previous lawyer, had asked in October to withdraw but at the time Brown said he wanted Meranto to stay on.