Journal-NewsWednesday November 1, 2017. See comments inred.

ELECTION2017

Middletownchief: Judge not publicly backed

Candidateon Facebook cites endorsement from top police officer.

MIDDLETOWN— Middletown’s police chief won’t ask a candidate for MunicipalCourt judge to remove a reference on Face-book that cites hisendorsement, despite saying that he has not publicly endorsed her.

IncumbentJudge Melynda Cook Howard lists Middletown Police Chief RodneyMuterspaw as a public official who has endorsed her on her campaign’sFacebook page.

“I’ma citizen and I have an opinion just like anyone else,” Muterspawtold this news outlet, adding that does not publicly endorsecandidates for city council or for judicial races and has notpublicly endorsed Cook Howard. “I have to be careful about what Isay publicly. All I care about is keeping Middletown safe.”

However,he said he has not asked Cook Howard to delete the endorsement fromher campaign Facebook page “because I do support her and she’sdoing a great job. I just can’t endorse her publicly.”

“Idon’t want my officers to be in a tough spot over a council orjudge election and I don’t like to see our officers being pulledinto these things,” Muterspaw said.

Alsolisted on Cook Howard’s campaign Facebook page is an endorsementfrom Middletown Fire Chief Paul Lolli.

“It’sa non-partisan race,” Lolli said. “We can participate as long asit’s non-partisan.”

Inaddition to the list of endorsements, the Facebook page also has aphotograph of Cook Howard sitting at the court bench with Muterspawand Lolli, both in uniform, and several police officers.

Cook-Howardsaid she’s endorsed by the Middletown Firefighters union, and theFraternal Order of Police lodges representing Middletown policeofficers and Butler County Sheriff’s deputies.

Shealso said the other endorsements “are clearly defined by the chiefsby their own words and support.”

TheFacebook page also includes a photo of Cook Howard and Butler CountySheriff Richard K. Jones, but there was no endorsement listed.

Jonessaid he takes a lot of photos with a lot of people.

“SometimesI do, sometimes I don’t,” he said of endorsing politicalcandidates. “I have not endorsed or given my support to anycandidate in the Middletown (Municipal Court judge) race. I don’tknow if endorsements actually help now, but it beats a poke in theeye. I get along with everyone who is running.”

CookHoward, who was appointed in May by Gov. John Kasich to replace thelate Judge Mark Wall, is running to retain the seat. Also running arelocal attorneys James Sherron and Elizabeth Yauch.

MIDDLETOWNJUDGE CANDIDATE FACING ETHICS HEARING

Acandidate for Municipal Court judge is facing an ethics hearing foralleged improper campaign practices. Attorney James Sherron, who isone of three people running for the seat of the late Judge Mark Wall,is scheduled to have a hearing Wednesday before a three-member panelof the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct. The complaints concernSherron’s resume, which states he is licensed to practice in allfederal courts, as well as a fundraiser invitation that alleges heimplied he was Middletown Municipal Court judge. Judge Melynda CookHoward, who was appointed to the open seat by Gov. John Kasich afterWall’s death, filed the complaint along with Marilyn Hatfield, whois a member of the Butler County GOP Central Committee. In additionto Cook Howard, also running for the judgeship is local attorneyElizabeth Yauch.

Contactthis reporter at

513-755-5067or email

Ed.Richter@coxinc.com.

ChiefMuterspaw may say that he has not publicly endorsed Ms. Cook-Howard(for municipal judge) but his photo with her and the Fire ChiefLolli, in her campaign materials says something quite the opposite. And he has not asked (her) to delete the endorsement from hercampaign Facebook page “because I do support her ...” He alsosays “I don’t want my officers to be in a tough spot … and Idon’t like to see our officers being pulled into these things.” If he had that in mind then why did he allow himself to be used in amanner to cause this problem for our officers?

Noticeof the ethics hearing for alleged improper campaign practices bycandidate James Sherron may result in voters choosing the thirdcandidate at the ballot box.

This¼ page disclaimer from the Butler County Prosecutor’s officeappeared in the Journal-News on 10/18/17. The Butler CountyProsecutor says “I am writing to make it perfectly clear that myoffice had no participation in the victim claim”… that she wasre-victimized by the justice system and it all took place in aMiddletown Municipal Court. Read it for yourself and read theOctober 10, 2017 article that prompted the Butler County Prosecutorto respond with this disclaimer.

 We might want to investigate whether the city ordinance concerningelection sign law continued to be applied after the Ohio and SupremeCourts ruling in 2000. I know of some candidates in city races(after 2000) for council and mayor whose signs (which were incompliance) were confiscated wherever they were found all over town. That confiscation was selectively applied to opponents of choice. This is not only dirty politics, it may have had a direct influenceon the outcome of the election.

Of the several lawyers we have in city hall including City ManagerDoug Adkins, Law Director Les Landen and Councilman Picard, surelysomeone was aware of the conflicting city ordinance. Or did theyknow? Or did they care?

Posted: 5:21 p.m.Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015

Middletown hopes to collect morethan $1 million in fines

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

BUTLER COUNTY — 

MiddletownMunicipal Court is making a last-ditch effort to collect more than $1 million indelinquent fines, fees and costs before turning them over to the Ohio AttorneyGeneral, officials said.

CourtClerk Steve Longworth said about 2,200 letters are being mailed this weeknotifying residents about their unpaid court fines that accumulated for thelast 18 months, from January 2014 through June 2015. The letters gave adeadline of Dec. 15, 2015 to pay the fines or contact the court, he said.

Longworthsaid on average the fines are about $500 per person, though one person owesmore than $7,000.

Hesaid under a recent change in state law, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office cancollect debt on behalf of local governments under a Local Government CollectionServices program. He said those fines that are unpaid will be turned over tothe AG’s office, and a 10 percent collection fee will be added to the originalcost.

TheOhio Attorney General’s Office is successful, Longworth said, because it has “agood system in place” that gives it the ability to automatically withhold adelinquent person’s state tax refunds or Ohiolottery winnings.

Longworthsaid fines can be paid on-line or in the City Buildingbefore the deadline. If someone is unable to pay the total amount of theirfines, Longworth said, the court will work with that individual. He said MiddletownMunicipal Court Judge Mark Wall is “very willing” to assist those in thecommunity who are working to pay their outstanding fines.

Collectingthe debt impacts all residents because the money is distributed to the city, Butler and Warren counties, the state, Lemon Twp. and Trenton, Longworth said.The city collected $3.5 million in 2014, and of that, $2.3 million resultedfrom criminal cases and $1.2 million from civil cases, according to the audit’sreport.

Lastyear, the city of Middletown received $1.6million, the State of Ohio ($508,000), Butler County($193,000), Lemon Twp. ($11,000), WarrenCounty ($850) and city of Trenton ($145), thereport said.

Middletown will be the secondlocal agency to use the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as a collection agency.Butler County Court Clerk Mary Swain said her agency started using the officeto assist in collecting court costs associated with civil cases. She said fromJan. 26, 2014 to present, the agency has collected nearly $14,000 for thecounty, money that may otherwise never been collected. She said delinquentstypically respond quicker to a letter from Attorney General Mike DeWine’soffice.

Beforethe state office is contacted, Swain said, the county sends three notices toresidents who owe the court money.

InHamilton, about2,000 defendants owe the court about $1.2 million in delinquent fines and costsfor the last 18 months, said Susan Mense, secretary for the Hamilton MunicipalCourt. She said the city doesn’t use a collection agency.