Athens County Commissioner Mark Sullivan, 52, pleaded not guilty to one count of domestic violence this morning in Athens County Municipal Court.
Last night, Nelsonville Police officers were called to a home on Woodlane Drive in Nelsonville at about 6:30 p.m. in reference to a domestic dispute.
Upon arrival, Samantha Sullivan, Mark's 29-year-old niece, had a visible injury to her lip, said Nelsonville Police Chief Jason Wallace.
Officers were told Mark Sullivan headbutted Samantha in the mouth, according to court documents.
An incident fellow commissioner Larry Payne fears could hurt Sullivan's chances in March's primary.
"Sometimes a four way race favors the incumbent, but with this latest incident it probably really hurt his chances," Payne said.
But Sullivan firmly stated via video from the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail that he didn't do it.
"I am 100 percent completely not guilty," he said.
Sullivan was charged with domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor, which holds a sentence of up to 180 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000.
He will be released upon his signature from Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, Athens County Municipal Court Judge William Grim said.
As part of his bond, he must be a law abiding citizen and have no contact with the victim, Grim said.
Because he and the victim share the same address, Sullivan must find somewhere else to stay once he is released.
His pre-trial is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 8 a.m.
But this is not Sullivan’s first domestic violence charge.
About 12 percent of the nearly 57,000 reported domestic violence victims statewide in 2010 fell into the category of "other family members," according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
In March, Sullivan was charged with domestic violence following an altercation with his wife, Tammie Sullivan, in his Millfield home.
His wife admitted to initiating the altercation, but Mark Sullivan was charged because police policy instructs officers to arrest the party that inflicted more damage to the other.
He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of persistent disorderly conduct, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
After Tammie accused him of having an affair in July, Sullivan said he told his wife that she needed to seek mental “help,” or he would file for divorce.
In July, Tammie called the Athens County Sheriff’s Office and claimed marijuana was being grown in the backyard of his home. But Sullivan said he had no idea where the 39 pot plants seized from his home came from.
Tammie filed for a civil protection order July 21, citing an incident in which her husband punched, bloodied and bruised her.
Sullivan denied the accusations and the civil protection order was voluntarily dismissed Aug. 3.
Mark Sullivan filed for divorce from his wife Aug. 23.
"This is a personal matter and there are clearly some issues he has to deal with," Payne said. "We have to see how it works out in the legal process."
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