COINGATE: Petro accused of holding out on court records (IGNORES COURT!)

[barbaraann]

Article published Thursday, July 28, 2005

Petro accused of holding out on coin records
State largely ignores ruling of high court, paper claims
Petro has been accused of refusing to comply with state high court ruling.

By MIKE WILKINSON
TOLEDO BLADE STAFF WRITER

COLUMBUS — In the two weeks since the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the state to make public the records of rare-coin funds managed by Tom Noe for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, only three of an estimated 120 boxes of documents have been released.

Because of the slow pace of handing over the records, The Blade asked the Supreme Court yesterday to find the bureau and the two coin funds in contempt of court and requested that a receiver be appointed to take custody of the records.

Blade attorney Fritz Byers, in the motion, labeled the attorney general’s conduct a “disobedient refusal” to comply with the high court’s July 13 ruling.
...
“This is stunning. That a governmental lawyer representing an appointee of the governor would advise the attorney general to disobey a decision of the Supreme Court reflects a grave threat to the state’s constitutional theme and the rule of law,” Mr. Byers said.
...
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050728/NEWS24/50728002


Is it over? Has the Rule of Law already been destroyed by the Republican Party Fascists? When in the timeline of German Fascism did the Nazis start ignoring the courts? Are the people of Ohio going to roll over for the destruction of the Rule of Law?

[htuttle]

1. Where's Elliott Ness when you need him?

[barbaraann]

2. He's been outsourced to Dyncorp.

n/t

[cmd]

3. Marc Dann will be all over this one

He's my new Ohio hero.

[barbaraann]

6. Yes, he does look like a hero!

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050718/NEWS24/507180341

[OzarkDem]

12. Ness was a Repug

He worked for Diebold after he retired from law enforcement. Seriously, he did.

[barbaraann]

13. So, in the end they bought him off?

:-(

[reprobate]

14. When Ness was a republican the party wasn't run by neocons.

Those were the days when some republicans actually had some honor. Days that are gone forever.

[htuttle]

15. Well, Ness was going after Capone, not Diebold

My point was that they couldn't trust existing law enforcement to enforce the laws as far as Capone was concerned, so they brought someone in from outside.

[WCGreen]

17. Yea but it was DAyton Business Machines back then......

[atreides1]

4. The Nazis didn't ignore the courts.

The Nazis never actually ignored the courts, they already had some who were sympathetic to their cause sitting on the bench, if you have any doubts just look at the light sentence that Hitler was given
after the Munich Putsch.

The sentence was light, he got 5 years after being convicted of High Treason, and was granted amnesty after serving only a few months.

[barbaraann]

5. Ah, yes, now I remember that.

So the GOP *might* try to pack the courts with purely partisan judges. Gee, I wonder if they *might* try that with the Supreme Court.

[WCGreen]

18. They can't do that...

The case agaisnt Hagan in Cuyahoga was completely misunderstood here....

Hagan is a county Commissioner and he holds the purse string for the court system....

All 38 judges were excused, including 5 republicans due to a conflict of interest....

A democrat visiting judge was appointed to hear the civil case......

[KDLarsen]

21. Not to mention..

.. once they were in power, they just changed the rules as they pleased. In theory, none of what they did up until 1945 was illegal under German law (at the time). How long before it happens in the US?

[Supersedeas]

7. Republican version of 'cooperating' with an investigation

[barbaraann]

10. Just like with the torture photos.

n/t

[me b zola]

8. Kicked and recomended!

reThugs really do believe they are above the law.


Hey Fraudwell, I haven't forgotten you either!

[truthisfreedom]

9. throw 'em all in the clink and let 'em rot with the rest of the criminals.

[barbaraann]

11. Ohio State Penitentiary

http://www.drc.state.oh.us/Public/osp.htm

[blm]

16. Ohio has been totally corrupted by Repthugs for over a decade now.

The court system in every county but Cuyahoga is neckdeep in Republican graft and cover up.

You know the Ohio courts still have election issues it hasn't heard yet...or is dawdling hoping they'll go away.

[WhiteTara]

19. can't they get the police to arrest this SOB

I mean, if you or I defied a court order, off we would go to the slammer.

[starroute]

20. Petro is just another one of the gang

There's a story from the Blade that's been quoted here and there online -- for example, at http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/004562.php.

Attorney General Jim Petro acknowledged yesterday that Bernadette Noe, a lawyer and wife of embattled coin dealer Tom Noe, "may have" successfully lobbied his office to direct thousands of dollars in contracts to her law firm to collect debt on behalf of the state.

"Tom never brought it up. I don't doubt that Bernadette may have," Mr. Petro said.

Democrats have charged that Republican officials whose campaigns Mr. Noe has financially supported have done favors for the Toledo-area coin dealer in exchange.

The Noes have given more than $200,000 in contributions to politicians, political parties, and political action committees over the past 15 years - including $6,000 to Mr. Petro's campaigns returned this week amid the growing scandal.

[Algorem]

22. Petro faces possible contempt citation

Petro faces possible contempt citation
7/29/2005, 5:34 a.m. ET
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Attorney General Jim Petro has been given until Monday to explain to the Ohio Supreme Court why he should not be held in contempt for not complying with its order to release coin investment records requested by The (Toledo) Blade.

The newspaper had asked the court to enforce its July 13 order that the state release transaction and business records from Tom Noe's now-closed coin funds.

Petro has about 120 boxes of records seized from Noe, whose handling of a $50 million state investment in rare coins sparked the investment scandal.

Petro has released only three boxes so far, saying they must be reviewed before release. Noe has said up to $13 million is missing from the fund that should be worth $58 million, and Petro has accused him to stealing at least $4 million...

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-18/112262601340130.xml&storylist=cleveland