Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor has appointed three retired justices to serve on a panel that will determine whether Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly should be suspended from office.
According to a news release from the court, the three justices are:
-Retired Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge John F. Bender.
-Retired Warren County Common Pleas Court Judge Neal B. Bronson.
-Retired Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge Jennifer L. Sargus.
O'Connor appointed the three justices after waiting the legally required 14 days. The appointed commission will have 14 days to decide whether or not Kelly should be suspended from office. Should the court reccommend Kelly be suspended, he will have 14 days to contest the decision.
Kelly was indicted on 25 counts, including 23 felonies, on Jan. 31 after a state investigation and grand jury trial.
The Supreme Court hearing will not be to determine Kelly's innocence or guilt, it will only be to determine whether or not the three-judge panel believes he should be suspended from office. Kelly's next hearing, a pretrial, will take place in Athens County Common Pleas Court on Feb. 28 at 1 p.m.
At Kelly's arraignment hearing Feb. 10 in common pleas he pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
The proceedings will be closed to the public until the conclusion of the hearing.
This is a developing story. Stick with The Post and follow @ThePostLocal for updates.
