The three judges appointed by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor to determine whether Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly should be suspended from office have come to a decision, but it won’t be made public for the time being.
The panel was given 14 days to submit its preliminary determination, which was due last Wednesday, but according to an Ohio Supreme Court official the decision doesn’t legally have to be released until it is compiled in an official report.
Chris Davey, director of public information of the Supreme Court of Ohio, said there is “not much” information he can disclose regarding the commission’s decision until it is final, according to section 3.16 of the Ohio Revised Code. Should the decision be that Kelly is suspended, the sheriff will have 14 days to contest the decision.
Davey added he will provide information to The Post as soon as it is made public but did not clarify when the decision is expected to be released.
If a replacement for Kelly is needed, Athens County Commissioners would hire a temporary one until the Athens County Democratic Party could hire an interim replacement. But even the commissioners are in the dark concerning the panel’s decision.
“We have not been officially or unofficially notified — at least me — of the decision of this panel of judges,” Athens County Commissioner Charlie Adkins said. “I think it’s the craziest thing I ever heard, that some political, elected official could be suspended and the public not know that. … It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s the sheriff or the governor.”
In the instance Kelly is suspended, two people have thrown in their names for his possible replacement.
Those two people are retired Lt. Rodney Smith and Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Jack Taylor. They have both filed applications with Athens County Democratic Party Chair Kathy Hecht.
“I have their information and I’m just waiting for the process to run its course,” Hecht said. “Until the central committee needs to do something I don’t have any input.”
Smith, who retired July 2013, said if he were to take over as sheriff, he would focus on pooling state money with other counties to draw state funds and combat drug use through reaching out to “middle-school age” children to encourage them to stay in school and avoid drug use.
“Both of them expressed the opinion they didn’t want to jump in too soon because there is really no opening yet,” Hecht said. “Once the sheriff was indicted and the attorney general filed for the panel to suspend him, they decided to throw their names in the hat.”
Kelly, 63, was indicted on 25 criminal charges, 23 of which are felonies, including money laundering, theft in office and perjury. The commission, appointed Feb. 19, comprises retired judges John F. Bender, Neal B. Bronson and Jennifer L. Sargus.
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