Ex-assistant prosecutor wants new look at whistleblower status

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Martin Desmond, a former Mahoning County assistant prosecutor, wants his whistleblower status request heard by an appeals court.

Desmond, who claims his April 2017 termination was for attempting to expose misconduct in the prosecutor’s office, was denied whistleblower protections from the State Personnel Board of Review.

Visiting Judge H.F. Inderlied Jr. on Oct. 1 threw out Desmond’s appeal of that decision in the county Common Pleas Court.

Desmond’s attorneys, Subodh Chandra and Sandhya Gupta of Cleveland, filed an appeal to the 7th District Court of Appeals on Thursday, which requested an oral argument and suggests attorneys are open to mediation hearings, according to county court filings.

“Mr. Desmond was disappointed that the trial court did not address any of his legal arguments in [Judge Inderlied’s] decision and is seeking review of that failure by the 7th District Court of Appeals,” Chandra said.

Desmond also has filed a civil suit against the office accusing county Prosecutor Paul Gains and chief assistant Prosecutor Linette Stratford of defamation, intimidation and retaliation related to his firing.

A petition also filed by Desmond seeks the release of five grand jury transcripts that Desmond claims will illustrate misconduct in the prosecutor’s office.

Both matters are ongoing, Chandra said.