Appointed attorney system begins in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court

Staff report

WARREN

The process of appointing private attorneys to represent low-income defendants in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court began Monday in the courtroom of Judge Peter Kontos.

Attorneys such as Katherine Rudzik of Youngstown and Andrew Zellers of Canfield – attorneys whose names are not frequently seen in Trumbull criminal defense cases – were appointed in two of the cases.

They are taking over cases previously handled by Laura Berzonski of the Trumbull County branch of the Ohio Public Defender’s office.

Berzonski and a few others with that office will no longer represent low-income defendants at the common pleas court as they used to after a decision by the county commissioners two weeks ago in consultation with the common pleas court judges to eliminate the public defender’s office at the common pleas court level.

Berzonski and the other attorneys with the Ohio Public Defender’s Office have filed motions asking to withdraw from most of their common pleas court cases, Berzonski said.

Judge W. Wyatt McKay said a reason for the change was that the Ohio Public Defender’s Office will no longer represent defendants in cases involving the death penalty.

Judge Kontos said he was working from a list of attorneys who had asked to take cases. He decided which ones to appoint based on the types of cases they are qualified to handle.

Another factor, especially in the cases involving higher-level felonies, is whether he’s familiar enough with the attorney to have “seen their work,” he said.

Berzonski said she doesn’t know how long it will take for her to shed her common pleas court cases. Each of the four common pleas court judges who handle criminal cases is handling the matter in his own way, she said. The public defender’s office will still represent low-income defendants in the misdemeanor or city courts, such as Warren Municipal.