Indicted Judge Harry Jacob, a Republican whom the Ohio Supreme Court disqualified as judge on Friday for an indictment by a county grand jury for allegedly operating a prostitution ring out of the court he presided over. Others malfeasance charges, all issued  pursuant to a 19-count indictment, include money laundering, solicitation and having an unlawful interest in a public contract, all but solicitation of which are felony charges.

By Bret Crow | December 20, 2013

The Ohio Supreme Court issued an order today that Bedford Municipal Court Judge Harry J. Jacob III is disqualified from acting as a judge because of his felony indictment.

Judge Jacob was indicted by a grand jury Thursday for one third-degree felony count of bribery, three fourth-degree felony counts of promoting prostitution, six third-degree misdemeanor counts of soliciting, and one second-degree misdemeanor count of dereliction of duty.

Gov. Jud.R. III (6)(A) of the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Judiciary in Ohio states: “A Justice or judge is disqualified from acting as a Justice or judge while there is pending an indictment or an information charging the Justice or judge with a crime punishable as a felony under state or federal law.”

In the order signed by Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, it notes that “it is further ordered that he shall remain disqualified while any and all indictments filed in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas are pending and until further order of this court.”

Copies of the order were sent to Judge Jacob, the other sitting judge of the Bedford Municipal Court (Brian Melling), the court’s administrator who also serves as its clerk, and the city’s fiscal officer.

Access Section III (Disability Retirement, Removal, or Suspension of Judges) of the rules

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Reach us by phone at 216-659-0473 and by email at  editor@clevelandurbannews.com.
 
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Last week, in a poll commissioned by Freedom to Marry Ohio, Democratic Ohio Governor Candidate Ed FitzGerald and Republican Gov. John Kasich continue to be locked in a near dead heat going into 2014.
 
The survey, conducted between December 6 and 8 of 1,011 of Ohio voters by Public Policy Polling (PPP), one of the most accurate pollsters in America, found that if the election were held today, Kasich would carry 40 percent of the vote, followed by FitzGerald at 38 percent, and Libertarian Charlie Earl at six percent. In the poll, FitzGerald held a 13 percent lead over Kasich with Independent voters.
 
In a separate memo released on the poll, Tom Jensen, director of PPP, stated that the "Democrats continue to have an excellent chance at a pick up next year.”
 
State Democratic party leaders remain optimistic.
 
“With more than 427,000 Ohioans out of work and the state’s unemployment worse than the nation’s for the first time in three years, voters are tired of Governor Kasich’s policies just benefiting the rich,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern. “This poll shows what every struggling middle-class family already knows, John Kasich is vulnerable going into 2014 because under his leadership Ohio’s economy is headed in the wrong direction while the rest of the nation recovers.”
 
Ohio voters will decide the gubernatorial race next year.

Indicted Bedford Municipal Court Judge Harry Jacob, a Republican
By Kathy Wray Coleman, Publisher, Editor-n-Chief,

Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog,

Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog

(www.clevelandurbannews.com)

Kathy Wray Coleman is a community activist and 20 year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper, Ohio's Black press with print newspapers in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. The Call and Post is published by international boxing promoter Don King.

(Editors note: Bedford, Ohio is a suburb of the majority Black city of Cleveland. The middle class largely White community has a population of some 13, 000 people, and is roughly 44 percent Black, a U.S. census report reveals).

BEDFORD, Ohio -- City and municipal court officials last week released 16 grand jury subpoenas related to a wide-ranging corruption investigation that – at least in part – appears to be related to a brothel prosecutors say was operating illegally in the city.

Prior to Friday, the city and court had declined to release the records to The Plain Dealer because Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty's office said they didn't believe they were public records and could impede the ongoing investigation.

City Manger Henry "Hank" Angelo and Bedford Clerk of Courts Thomas Day Jr. later decided on the advice of an assistant law director to release the records.

The requests from investigators working with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office include general information, such as city policies outlining the use of time and equipment as well as more specific information about Law Director Ken Schuman and his use of city credit cards, cars and what he and his private law firm has been paid by the city – and by another law firm that did work on municipal bonds for the city.

Schuman has been on medical leave since last month and his attorney has declined to comment on the case.

In addition, investigators requested records about Bedford Municipal Judge Harry J. Jacob III.

To read this full article by Rachel Dissell CLICK ON THIS LINK HERE