Jury gets the case against suspended juvenile court judge
CINCINNATI The jury in the trial of suspended juvenile court judge Tracie Hunter began deliberations Wednesday, after four weeks and three days of lengthy testimony and heated exchanges between counsels.
Special prosecutor R. Scott Croswell III spent about an hour concluding the prosecution closing arguments. Abandoning the podium and standing only feet away from the jury box to deliver his fiery and final argument, Croswell urged jurors to look beyond the testimony of the countless witnesses, but tobuy patagonia shoes uk focus on the documents patagonia karstens vest reviewand emails entered as evidence.
case is really not about witnesses, Croswell told the jury. the documents that tbuy patagonia shoes uk3ell the story, she did what we say she did.
Croswell also asked a series of rhetorical questions to the jury, giving them even more to think about.
Are you (now) convinced that when Avery Corbin (Hunter former bailiff) testified to the grand jury that Judge Hunter knew her brother was coming down to courtroom? Croswell asked the jury. Are you convinced of her using her office to do that?
Are you convinced that she misused a credit card?
The jury 10 women and two men got the Hunter case Wednesday morning, but a verdict probably wbuy patagonia shoes uk2on come quickly. Deliberations will almost certainly take several days. One court official told WCPO on Tuesday that there is a high likelihood of a hung jury.
The jury now is charged with deciding the fate of Hunter, 47, who is charged with misuse of a county issued credit card, forgery and unlawful interest in public contract.
Suspended juvenile court judge Tracie Hunter, left, talks with attorney Clyde Bennett II, right, as court is adjourned following closing arguments, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014. Kareem Elgazzar WCPO
It won be easy to separate the wheat from the chaff, as special prosecutor Merlyn Shiverdecker referred to the exhaustive testimony in his closing argument.
That includes making sense of disputes about the statutes that apply to the backdating counts, as well as nearly 300 exhibits.
Hunter attorney, Clyde Bennett II, objected multiple times during Croswell summation Wednesday, prompting Croswell to yell back at him and the judge, Clyde to stopatagonia specter pullover reviewp interrupting me!
That drew a brief, but passionate, exchange between Bennett and Croswell, and even Hunter herself quipped at the special prosecutor.
During Croswell summation, he continued to present emails and judicial entries to the jury. On the issue of backdating, Croswell discounted the defense strategy of showing the multiple hands were on judicial entries.
important is who sbuy patagonia shoes uk0igns it to make it official. Croswell told the jury. who created and put the date on it.
Special prosecutor R. Scott Croswell III abandoned the podium and delivered his final and fiery closing argument only feet from the jury box, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014. Karebuy patagonia shoes uk1em Elgazzar WCPO
Croswell was referencing the testimony of William Breyer, retired Hamilton County chief assistant prosecutor, who testified that anpatagonia discount code 2020ave entry is until it signed by a judge.
Hunter defense rests on not whether she improperly or negligenpatagonia everlong review chevytly usepatagonia everlong review carsd a county credit card, but that she did not knowingly violate the law. And on the issue of backdating on judicial entries, the defense has argued that changing dates on entries to reflect hearing dates was a status quo practice done long before Hunter election to the bench.
The dpatagonia everlong review zenniefense has argued Hunter did not have the or purpose to violate the law.
But Croswell urged patagonia everlong review 8 inchthe jury not to buy the defense case.
the judge going to sit here and say she didn know the law? Croswell told the jury. case is about public corruption. Trust in our system, the image our system has on citizens.
Hunter faces up to 13 years in prison if she is convicted on all counts. The Ohio Supreme Court suspended her with pay when she was indicted in January. Hunter did not testify, patagonia guide jacket 3 in 1but when president judge Norbepatagonia guide jacket 6082rt Nadel charged the jury, he told them not to hold that against one side or another.
If she is convicted on any count, she would lose her pay and could face disbarment, essentially kiicking her off the bench. If she is acquitted, the Ohio Supreme Court would have to lift her suspension before she could return to the bench.
Judge Hunter has had a trial as fair as anyone has, Croswell told the jury near the end of his summation. Judge (Norbert) Nadel has bent over backwards to see that is the case.
