A [federal] jury in Akron convicted Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Steven Terry on Monday of three corruption-related counts. [T]he 12 jurors, who began deliberations on Friday afternoon and resumed them on Monday, acquitted Terry of two other counts.
The judge, who was on leave, immediately resigned. He was accused of fixing a forclosure case at the request of his political mentor, then-county Auditor Frank Russo.
The guilty verdict came after a weeklong trial during which Russo testified that he asked Terry to deny a motion in the case and prosecutors played a secretly recorded telephone conversation of Terry telling the auditor he had denied the motion. "Very good," Russo could be heard saying. "Very good."
Despite the damning testimony, Terry took the stand in U.S. District Court and argued that he had been unaware of Russo's interest in the case and did nothing wrong in denying the motion. Terry is the second common pleas judge convicted of wrongdoing as part of a federal investigation of corruption in the county. In March, a jury convicted former Judge Bridget McCafferty of lying to the FBI about cases on her docket. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 11. [ . . . ]
The corruption investigation has implicated more than 50 elected officials, public employees and contractors since becoming public in July 2008 with FBI raids of businesses, homes and county offices.
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There arre at least ten other Cuyahoga County judges who are quivering in their wing tips and pumps this afternoon, if the trial testimony by Russo stands up to scrutiny.
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Two cleveland judges are off to federal minimum security prison and we are to suppose that those that remain are as pure as driven snow. No, no, they know who they are. You are right Bad One, the party's over there at the mistake on the lake. But how many got away with it, reputations in tact, the public's money, the graft, and even some have Public bldgs named in their honor. The federal courhouse, seems to me to have a taint to it's naming, but let's not open that can of worms. Good job James McCarthy at the PeeDee for coverage and great job of setting context, Bad Lawyer.
ReplyDeleteSo how much time for these felon judicials?
The reporter at Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer is James McCarty.
ReplyDeleteBL
63 mos.
ReplyDeleteTake one tainted political operative, add one naive judge, and voila, an innocent is smeared and his reputation is tarnished. The Plain Dealer's lack of objectivity in this case is dismaying. I was told that if a Plain Dealer reporter actually looked into the facts of this case they would be fired. That is a very sorry reflection on both journalism and the judiciary in Cleveland.
ReplyDeleteIn Crook County Illinois, there's an Estate Atty,who has misused a Trust, Illegally taken a house out of someone else trust,placed the house in another trust to off-set the people property, then allegedly paid a Circuit Court Judge a million plus dollars and hundreds of thousand dollar to several attorneys to cover up the crime.
ReplyDeleteCrook County (Cook County)
ReplyDeleteCrook County is Cook County
ReplyDeleteIn Crook County Illinois, there's an Estate Atty,who has misused his power by illegally removing a house out of someone's Trust. He then placed the house in another trust to off-set the balance of that trust, due to his fraudulent schemes. Afterwards, he allegedly paid a Circuit Court Judge a million plus dollars and several attorneys, thousands of dollars to cover up the crime.
ReplyDelete