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.
Kelly, 63, has maintained in his innocence and has refused to step down from office, most recently in a 15-page letter sent to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office, according to media reports.
DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney confirmed the Attorney General’s office has received the letter, but since the commission’s hearing is sealed to the public until its conclusion, was unable to confirm the letter’s contents.
O’Connor appointed the three justices after waiting the legally required 14 days. The appointed commission will have an additional 14 days to decide whether or not Kelly should be suspended from office. Should the court recommend Kelly be suspended, he will have another 14 days after that to contest the decision if he so chooses.
Retired Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge John F. Bender, retired Warren County Common Pleas Court Judge Neal B. Bronson and retired Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge Jennifer L. Sargus will oversee the commission, according to a release from the Ohio Supreme Court.
Kelly was indicted on 25 counts, including 23 felonies, Jan. 31 after a state investigation and grand jury trial led by DeWine.
Kelly’s charges include theft in office, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, money laundering, perjury, and others, according to the indictment.
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 the Athens County Common Pleas Court, he pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. He is currently out on a $50,000 bond, and will not be incarcerated so long as he attends all of his hearings, according to a previous Post article.
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