CLEVELAND — The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office has dismissed charges against the five Cleveland police supervisors in the November 2012 deadly police chase.
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Rick Bell, the lead prosecutor in the police chase case, tells WKYC’s Tom Beres late Friday afternoon that “This motion will streamline and clarify the legal process so we can move forward with prosecuting the case against these five supervisors in East Cleveland Municipal Court, a misdemeanor court that is an appropriate venue for these misdemeanor charges.”
On Thursday, the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals ruled that the trial of five Cleveland police supervisors should not be moved to East Cleveland, said defense attorney Henry Hilow.
Lawyers for all five Cleveland police supervisors charged with dereliction of duty fought the move of their trial from Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to East Cleveland Municipal Court.
The lawyers argued that, if the case were to be moved, it should have been done within two weeks of the supervisors’ indictments last year, according to Ohio law.
The supervisors were due to appear in court this morning (July 10) in East Cleveland. WKYC has also asked the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office for comment.
The case is on hold until the court decides if East Cleveland is able to file its own charges.
Attorneys for the City of East Cleveland have until July 17 to file briefs, according to court records. Attorneys for the supervisors have until July 24.
East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton declined to comment on the ruling.
They filed an appeal Wednesday to keep the trial in Cleveland, according to Hilow. Hilow represents Sgt. Randolph Dailey.
READ MORE: WKYC.com
Article and Picture Courtesy of WKYC Channel 3 News
Charges Against Five Cleveland Police Supervisors Dismissed by Cuyahoga County was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
