Re: Statement From State Senator Michael J. Skindell On Court Decision
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 3:58 pm
Ms. Allen,Lori Allen _ wrote:Thank you. Case in point.If these campaign contributions required recusal on the part of the judges involved, then the case would likely need to be transferred out of the County.
Mike Summers' neighbor, Judge John P. O'Donnell, was supposed to be a straight-up, honest and fair guy, right? Where are we now? 1 year and 9 months into the original filing on the Ed Graham lawsuit and we are still not past the pre-trial stage. By the time O'Donnell decides to move the case along in a timely fashion, he will be hobbling his way into the courtroom with a cane as an old man.
Many people thought Councilperson Cynthia A. Marx was on the side of saving the hospital, right? Wrong.
Many people thought Councilman David W. Anderson was on the side of saving the hospital, right? Wrong.
Many people thought that Councilman Samuel T. O'Leary may be on the side of saving the hospital, right? Wrong.
For that matter, many people even thought that Councilman Thomas R. Bullock III could be persuaded toward saving the hospital, right? Wrong.
What about Mark A. Schneider? Many people thought that he was the candidate for saving the hospital, right? Wrong. Where is he now? Possibly back in Mentor?
Many people thought that J.T. Neuffer was another candidate for saving the hospital ,right? Wrong. Where is he now? Indiana.
My point being, I said from the beginning that no council member would be for saving the hospital. That turned out to be true.
Regardless of how you look at it, people, for the most part, do not give money to candidates without expecting something in return. That is politics.
Brian, I know you have worked tirelessly for countless hours, requesting records, doing research, etc. We all appreciate the hours of research that you have shared on the Deck regarding the hospital issue. You have certainly exposed much of the deal that may have gone undetected. Likewise, I have worked for hours researching City Hall and Cuyahoga County and have brought much evidence here to the Deck. Perhaps you haven't had the time to look through all of the research I have conducted regarding alleged cronyism between Michael P. Summers and Cuyahoga County.
I respect all your hard work in digging up the facts you do and I respect your opinions even though I may not agree with them. I have not carefully examined all that you have done, so I have not formed opinions or conclusions on too much of it. However, from what I have read, I just don't see any corruption on the part of Judge O'Donnell especially because he is a neighbor of the mayor, he lives in Lakewood or he receives campaign contributions from Mr. Smith or Mrs. Jones. On the contrary, at the outset, he asked all parties if they had an issue with where he lived and they did not object. I am told that he has announced from the bench that his docket is full and knowledgeable attorneys with other cases in his court confirm to me that he is jammed.
I learned as a very young lawyer over 30 years ago that bias or prejudice by a judge is not proved simply because of the way they rule or by the fact that they delay ruling. Specific evidence of prejudicial conduct is needed. I've seen none.
As the country awaits a ruling from the Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast, I find it amazing that so many are jumping to conclusions about the "left leaning" or "right leaning" judges appointed by Carter, Bush and Obama. That makes for good fodder on TV talk shows portraying themselves as news outlets, but who appointed these judges adds nothing to the true issues in the case and if the ruling favors the perceived "left" or "right," it will not mean the judges are somehow corrupt. The issue will be whether the ruling is correct or not under the law and the facts of the case.