Clermont County Prosecutor's Defamation Defense Costing Ohio Taxpayers Some Big Bucks

Clermont County's (Ohio) longtime prosecutor's defamation lawsuit defense is costing the taxpayers substantial dollars.  The following is an excerpt from Barrett Brunsman's report for the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"Taxpayers might have to cover at least $100,000 in legal fees in a defamation lawsuit filed by Clermont County Commissioner Archie Wilson against Prosecutor Don White.  'The county's money would be better spent on other things,' White said.  The prosecutor expects the county's insurance company to pay for his defense, but a $100,000 deductible would be the responsibility of taxpayers, White said.

Assistant prosecutors usually defend the county against lawsuits, but that would be [in]appropriate in this case[.]  An outside lawyer would be needed because some of the prosecutors who work for White could be called as witnesses [ . . .]

The suit seeks more than $25,000 in compensatory damages [ed. Ohio, like many states avoids outlandish demands for millions of dollars by capping the amount asked for in lawsuits at "in excess of $25,000] and unspecified punitive damages [. . . ] to be determined by a jury trial.The suit suggested that [the plaintiff, Mr. Wilson]  was defamed when the prosecutor circulated the affidavits of people who claimed to have witnessed Wilson make defamatory comments at an Aug. 2 meeting of the Union Township Republican Party.  White said he investigated after hearing that Wilson allegedly said the prosecutor was corrupt. 'He accused me of committing a crime - covering up a murder,' White said. 'It's not true.'

White looked into claims that Wilson allegedly said 2-year-old Cecilia Slaby had been murdered by her parents to cover up sexual abuse by her father. Union Township police determined the child died in 2007 after accidentally being left in a hot car by her mother.

The prosecutor said he was told by witnesses that Wilson suggested the parents weren't charged because White is a friend of R. Scott Croswell III, a lawyer who represented the girl's mother during a police investigation. Croswell was Wilson's opponent in the November election.


The suit against White also suggested the prosecutor engineered a Hamilton County defamation suit filed against Wilson by the parents of Cecilia, Symmes Township resident Gary Slaby and his wife, Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby.  The prosecutor called the suit field against him by Wilson frivolous and said he expects it to be dismissed."
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According to Prosecutor White's website, prior to becoming the Clermont County Prosecutor he was a loader for United Parcel Service.   It never ceases to amaze me how these sorts of disputes blow up and it's the taxpayers who pay and pay.