UPDATED: Jury seated in mayor's trial; mayor's administrative assistant may be called as witness
Lead Summary
By
The Highland County Press-
Debbie Sansone, administrative assistant to Hillsboro mayor Drew Hastings, has been notified that she may be called as a witness in this week's trial in which the mayor is the defendant.
Jury selection was under way Monday, Nov. 7 at Highland County Common Pleas Court. Marsha Oyer, Highland County Common Pleas Court office administrator, told The Highland County Press shortly after 3 p.m. that a jury had been seated. The trial is set to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The Highland County Clerk of Courts Office confirmed today that Sansone received a notice to appear.
In his trial brief filed in Highland County Common Pleas Court, Hastings’ attorney, James T. Boulger of Chillicothe, said the state’s discovery is “voluminous,” and outlined a count-by-count contradiction of the charges against Hastings.
In that brief, Boulger said "The special prosecutor further indicated his belief that the unindicted principle, Ms. Debbie Sansone, would, if called to testify, assert her privilege against self-incrimination. It is the defense position that, should Ms. Sansone make herself unavailable as a witness by asserting her privilege, the state’s use of her out-of-court statements would be in violation of the holding of the United States Supreme Court in Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (U.S. 1968).
"The defense is aware that the unindicted principle has made conflicting statements concerning her involvement in creating the memo in question and her understanding of the safety service director’s position with respect to Mr. Hastings’ entitlement to a refund."
Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost announced July 12 that Hastings was indicted on the following counts:
• Election falsification;
• Theft;
• Theft in office; and,
• Tampering with records.
According to Yost, the charges against Hastings involve allegedly listing a false address on his Declaration of Candidacy form; for claiming a city refund of $500 for a vacant building he owned and for altering documents related to the refund; and for instructing a contractor to use city Dumpsters to dispose of construction debris.
Boulger entered a plea of not guilty on each of the four counts on Hastings’ behalf and asked to waive the reading of the indictment at Hastings’ arraignment on Aug. 1.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove (ret.) is presiding.
For more information on the case, go to: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/Content/Mobile-Application/Mobile-Application/Article/UPDATED-Hillsboro-mayor-Drew-Hastings-faces-multiple-felony-charges/-10/-10/33901.
For the trial brief, go to http://www.highlandcountypress.com/FTP/hastings%20trial%20brief.pdf.
Jury selection was under way Monday, Nov. 7 at Highland County Common Pleas Court. Marsha Oyer, Highland County Common Pleas Court office administrator, told The Highland County Press shortly after 3 p.m. that a jury had been seated. The trial is set to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The Highland County Clerk of Courts Office confirmed today that Sansone received a notice to appear.
In his trial brief filed in Highland County Common Pleas Court, Hastings’ attorney, James T. Boulger of Chillicothe, said the state’s discovery is “voluminous,” and outlined a count-by-count contradiction of the charges against Hastings.
In that brief, Boulger said "The special prosecutor further indicated his belief that the unindicted principle, Ms. Debbie Sansone, would, if called to testify, assert her privilege against self-incrimination. It is the defense position that, should Ms. Sansone make herself unavailable as a witness by asserting her privilege, the state’s use of her out-of-court statements would be in violation of the holding of the United States Supreme Court in Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (U.S. 1968).
"The defense is aware that the unindicted principle has made conflicting statements concerning her involvement in creating the memo in question and her understanding of the safety service director’s position with respect to Mr. Hastings’ entitlement to a refund."
Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost announced July 12 that Hastings was indicted on the following counts:
• Election falsification;
• Theft;
• Theft in office; and,
• Tampering with records.
According to Yost, the charges against Hastings involve allegedly listing a false address on his Declaration of Candidacy form; for claiming a city refund of $500 for a vacant building he owned and for altering documents related to the refund; and for instructing a contractor to use city Dumpsters to dispose of construction debris.
Boulger entered a plea of not guilty on each of the four counts on Hastings’ behalf and asked to waive the reading of the indictment at Hastings’ arraignment on Aug. 1.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove (ret.) is presiding.
For more information on the case, go to: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/Content/Mobile-Application/Mobile-Application/Article/UPDATED-Hillsboro-mayor-Drew-Hastings-faces-multiple-felony-charges/-10/-10/33901.
For the trial brief, go to http://www.highlandcountypress.com/FTP/hastings%20trial%20brief.pdf.