MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020 JOURNAL-NEWS COMPLETE. IN-DEPTH. DEPENDABLE. B5 agement standpoint, Yurick also acknowledged it was unknown how such legal action would come out. literally zero law on this said.
Currently, signs outside the Lebanon city building, housing administrative and municipal court, prohibit guns and otherweapons, in keeping with Ohio law. The courtroom is used for court sessions andmost city coun- cil meetings. The plan is to alter the signs to indicate those with conceal-carry permits may bring their guns to meet- ings, but not wear them at any other time the building is open. Yurick said he would base the city ordinance on one already passed in Shelby, a small city north- westofMansfield inRichland County. Pending Lebanon City Council action, Shelby is apparently the only city to have opened up council meetings to thosewhohave conceal-carry permits.
The council also rejected schedulingapoliceofficeror security for themeeting, in part to avoid added cost and inpartoutof conviction they could handle it themselves. Assigning a police officer, who would be paid over- time, would cost an esti- mated $7,500, according to staff estimates. Yurick also acknowledged the policy cover every potential liability cre- atedbyacouncilmemberor someone in the audience at a meeting. may come in said Yurick, formerly a part- ner in a large law firm. know how much it is going to come in Fiveofsevencouncilmem- bershave indicated theysup- port the changes.
Mayor Amy Brewer has beenpractically silentduring the hours of discussion. She did direct Yurick to drawup the necessary changes, not- ing the apparent majority. Krista Wyatt is the only council member to express opposition. She expressed concern this would enable irrespon- sible gun ownerswho think themselves Instead, shesuggestedPolice Chief JeffMitchell or an offi- cer be assigned, as is done in communities around the state. Wyatt also suggested the includeothercity workers during hourswhen concealed weapons would still be prohibited.
not selfish towant to protect saidCoun- cilwoman Wendy Monroe. Monroe, owner of a gun shop outside town, said the self-insured city had suffi- cient coverage. i lm a Ad am Mathews, also a lawyer, said he thought the city should be coveredunder immunity from lawsuits provided to local governments.Mathews called for clear signsexplain- ing the changes. Councilman Joe Shafer, who proposed the changes, said theywould be ing our rights back to our- Vice Mayor Mark Messer offered to sponsor the legis- lationnecessary tomake the change a reality, in light of thepotentialunder state law. should take advan- tage of that.We’re not Texas Messer said.
Contact this reporter at 937- 225-2261 or email Larry. Weapons continued from B1 Lebanon City Councilman Joe Shafer and other council members have directed the law director to draft legislation to permit them to conceal-carry during meetings. LAWRENCE LOCAL STATE CRIME COURTS Judge dishes out style punishment By Cory Shaffer Advance Ohio Media CLEVELAND A northeast Ohio attorney who left the defense table in front of a jury toprotesta earlier thismonth got a Bart Simpson-esquedose of pun- ishment Thursdaywhen the judge ordered him to write out 25 times that hewill not engage in discourteous and disruptive conduct. Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Fuerst found Anthony Baker in contempt for what she called behavior during the final day in the trial of a formerEastClevelandpolice officer who was ultimately convicted of assaulting his wife. Fuerst also slapped the Lorain-based attorneywith a $500 fine.
Fuerst made Baker write out two sentences, not on a chalkboardas in theopening montage but on a piece of paperwith a pen: The sentences included citations to specific rules of professional conduct for lawyers. Baker said in an inter- view Friday that he came to hearing expect- ing to serve time in jail. He brought no briefcase or lap- top, and even left his house keys behind. right, Baker said. should have not taken that stand.
grateful for the penalty that I did But Baker said he stood by his reasoning for what he did. was totally wrong in how I he said. think I was wrong in what I was fighting His defendant, Denayne Davidson-Dixon, brokemul- tiple bones in his face after an argument broke out at their home last sum- mer, and he was charged with felonious assault and domestic violence. David- son-Dixon was fired from his job with East Cleveland police and served about 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a man he arrested in a case that was featured on the popular podcast At the end of the trial, Baker asked Fuerst to instruct the jury on self-defense lawsbefore clos- ingargumentsandjurydelib- erations, according toacopy of a court transcript. Baker argued thatDavidson-Dixon defended himself after his wife struck him, and that denying jurors the ability to hear laws on self-defense whenconsidering the feloni- ous assaultwouldamount to an unfair trial and a certain conviction.
Fuerst denied the motion, but agreed to allow the jury to consider the lesser-included charge of aggravated assault. Baker disagreed with the ruling, and decided to stage a protest, he told cleveland. com Friday. He repeatedly sought to stop the trial fromproceed- ing after ruling. He told the judge he could not continue, and suggested that hewould gosit in thebackof thecourt- room.
Fuerst, who noted that she had told Baker previ- ously she had planned to deny his request, refused to delay the proceedings and accused Baker of play- ing games. a he said. is his Fuerst ordered Baker to sit downat thedefense table and be quiet, then ordered the jury back into the court- room, the transcript shows. She began reading the instructions but stopped after just a few sentences because Baker in front of the jury got up from the defense table during the jury instructions, left his cli- ent sitting there andwalked into the holding cell where jailed inmates are kept as they await court hearings, according to the transcript. She asked deputies to the attorneybackout and then stopped the proceedings and dismissed the jury for a lunch break.
She called Baker in and accused him of throwing a tantrum and acting unpro- fessionally several times throughout the trial and told him shewould be deal with contempt after the trial was over. Jurors found David son-Dixon guilty of aggra- vated assault and domestic violence. Fuerst sentenced him to 18 months in prison for the attack, and an addi- tional four months for vio- lating the termsof his parole on his previous conviction. ing lasted less than twomin- utes. Baker on Friday denied walking into theholdingcell.
He said he got up from the tableduring jury instructions andwalked a few feet away, near a large digital screen that is used to display evi- dence. He said the act was meant to protest decision and was an effort to stop the proceeding. But he denied ever leav- ing the courtroom in front of the jury. moved away from the table so it was clear not he said. Baker said Fuerst has always been a fair judge, and he did deserve punish- ment because he was out of line.
He said it found it strange sit before a judge in a seat wheremany of his clients sat waiting to learn his own fate. happen again, for he said. Defense attorney Anthony Baker writing out two sentences 25 times promising not to act out in court after Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Fuerst held him in contempt. Left is the page of a copy of his writings that were with the court. CLEVELAND.COM right, I was wrong.
I should have not taken that stand. grateful for the penalty that I did get. I was totally wrong in how I protested. I think I was wrong in what I was Anthony Baker Lorain-based attorney found in contempt of court by Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Fuerst roofing service landscaping service painting service Home improvement. Cleaning and janitorial services.
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