A judge fined the former chairwoman of the Athens County Democratic Party $1,000 March 19 for two misdemeanors, ending a legal drama that began in 2008 and roiled the local party.
Susan Gwinn, 55, of 7501 N. Blackburn Road, was convicted of two fourth-degree misdemeanor charges of falsification in January. In a bench trial, Judge William Wolff of Dayton acquitted her of four felonies. Gwinn was the party's chairwoman for 14 years.
I never believed my (campaign finance report) was incorrectly filed
but I have to accept your finding and I do Gwinn said, fighting back tears as she spoke before her sentencing. She called the personal and monetary price of the investigation and the resulting charges overwhelming.
Gwinn spent about $50,000 defending herself against the indictment, a complaint to the Ohio Elections Commission and an 18-month investigation by a special prosecutor, said Dennis McNamara, Gwinn's attorney.
McNamara said he's not sure if Gwinn will appeal the verdict.
As a practical matter
the appeal could save her the $1
000 fine
but cost her far more than that
McNamara said.
The special prosecutor, Dave Yost of Delaware County, asked Wolff to impose house arrest or jail time, in addition to the full $8,188 cost of prosecution. He asked Wolff for days
not months
but wouldn't specify further on his request.
Gwinn will pay a small fraction of that amount in court costs, in addition to the fine.
Yost said he was disappointed with the verdict.
More than a dozen people showed up to watch the sentencing, including former Athens Mayor Ric Abel and John Burns, who retired as Ohio University's director of Legal Affairs in January 2009.
Several people wrote letters to Wolff, attesting to Gwinn's character, McNamara said. The defense also submitted brief background information about Gwinn.
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