We’ve been following the story of Jacquie Maiden since last April, when we told you this gentle, easygoing preacher’s wife was having a little trouble at the office. More than a little, actually: out of nowhere, the former Board of Elections worker found herself indicted for rigging the recount of the 2004 presidential election. Problem is, she was just following orders from her superiors: Board Chairman Bob Bennett, Director Michael Vu, and Assistant County Prosecutor Reno Orandini, also known as the Triumvirate of Assholes™. Fearing a public backlash, Vu sought advice from Orandini, who told him not to break the longstanding county tradition of violating election laws. Then, when somebody needed to go down, there were Maiden and fellow Board employee Kathy Dreamer. They were convicted in January. Judge John Corrigan, having left his heart in his golf bag on the day of the sentencing, gave them each 18 months. But Corrigan, it turns out, isn’t just a dick. He’s a dick with connections. He’d previously been represented by Assistant County Prosecutor Charles Hannan, Jr., who helped take down the women. Of course, in Cuyahoga County courtrooms, such conflicts are as routine as pin stripes and bad cologne. But apparently it was good enough for the Ohio Supreme Court to disqualify Corrigan. The justices this week sent the case back to Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold, who’s scheduled a trial for August 28. (Editor’s note: Yes, C-notes is confused too. As soon as we figure out who picked up the justices’ bar tab in exchange for this ruling, we’ll let you know). Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter, appointed as special prosecutor for the case, doesn’t know why the women can’t just twist like the crooked criminals they are. He thinks the first trial went just fine, and in today’s PD openly questions Saffold’s judgement. “I still can’t figure out what new evidence the judge was talking about,” he says. “But she’s the judge and she makes the decisions.”
Maybe these’ll help, Kev. Back in February, we posted documents from Orandini’s early investigation of the Board. Initially Vu himself was the target, but when Maiden confirmed Vu’s stance – that the board always presorts ballots for recounts – she became collateral damage.
Now Saffold has a chance to make things right. In accordance with the Cuyahoga County Elected Officials Handbook, Rule 74.36.2, she’s expected to fuck it up. — Jason Nedley
This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2007.
1. It was not Judge John Corrigan, but Judge Peter Corrigan. I know they all look and sound a like. In any event Peter Corrigan is a former assistant county prosecutor and happened to be the judge responsible for overseeing the grand jury that indicted the women and me on August 30, 2005.
2. The Ohio Supreme Court did not send the case back to Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold. In May 2007, Chief Justice Moyer removed Judge Peter Corrigan from the case for an appearence of impropriety. The case was then reassigned to Judge Saffold by Chief Judge Nancy Mc Donnell. At the time a Motion for New Trial was pending. It was that motion that Judge Saffold ruled upon on August 6, 2007.
3. Special Prosecutor Kevin Baxter and Cuyahoga County prosecutor Bill Mason have a long history of trading political cases to cover for one another. In fact Kevin Baxter can not legally be involved in this case. As a county prosecutor he is a full time employee of Erie County and can not abandon his duties to cover for Bill, not that it has stopped him before. This appointment is quid pro quo for Bill Mason’s prosecution of me in Erie County and Cuyahoga County due my complaints of how cases can be fixed through manipulation of judicial and or prosecutorial appointments this case being IMO just one example.
4. I’m surprised Baxter isn’t facing 112 years in prison for intimidating Judge Saffold due his comments in the Plain Dealer. Clearly if emails criticizing a retired visiting judge merit 8 years in prison then Baxter ought to be facing major time for his insulting speech questoning Judge Saffold’s sanity published in Ohio’s largest newspaper.