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By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 05:52 p.m. EST, Nov 07, 2009
Akron Municipal Judge Orlando Williams, who lost his election bid Tuesday, won't be unemployed for long.
Less than 72 hours after the polls closed, Williams' soon-to-be-former colleagues — all fellow Democrats — hired him as a full-time court magistrate.
Part-time Magistrate Belinda Hinton was terminated in the shuffle.
At the same time, Williams and four Democratic judges rewarded Williams' campaign consultant, George Hanna, with a new, higher-paying, full-time courthouse job.
Williams' campaign had paid Hanna or his company $1,000 for consulting work last summer, according to election board records filed in Summit County.
Hanna, who had been making minimum wage as a court clerk, will work now as a service bailiff making $44,158 a year, plus benefits.
The judges hired Hanna while terminating bailiff Dawn Brown, a Republican.
Williams would not discuss his new job when reached at his office Friday. He will take over the new position when he leaves the bench later this month.
Judge Kathryn Michael, who was voted in last week as the court's presiding judge, said the moves were not political casualties in the wake of Tuesday's election.
She pointed to at least eight other Republican-connected bailiffs in the court who were not fired. And she reminded critics of occasions when a majority of GOP judges came in and fired many more workers.
''I guess people will make out of it what they want to,'' Michael said.
She said that before Tuesday's election, the court sought to save money by eliminating two part-time magistrates, each of whom received benefits. Hinton and former Magistrate Sophie Albrecht were each paid $27,290 a year in salary to handle civil cases. Albrecht resigned earlier in the year.
Michael said Hinton declined the full-time assignment and it was given to Williams, who was a magistrate before being appointed judge this year.
Williams will make $65,000 a year plus benefits worth about $20,000.
Hinton could not be reached for comment.
The personnel moves were made by the court's Democratic judges, who — for just the next three weeks or so — hold a solid internal voting bloc. With a majority, the judges are free to make personnel moves.
Two Republicans join the courthouse later this month, giving each party three judges and no clear majority.
Voters this week elected GOP candidates Katarina Cook and Tom McCarty over Williams and Judge Stephen Fallis, both Democrats.
Fallis said he refused to sign the orders firing Brown and Hinton because he did not believe the moves were appropriate.
Judges Kathryn Michael, Orlando Williams, Annalisa Williams and Jerry Larson — all Democrats — signed off on the firings.
The court's only current Republican, Judge John Holcomb was not asked to approve either move.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron Municipal Judge Orlando Williams, who lost his election bid Tuesday, won't be unemployed for long.
Less than 72 hours after the polls closed, Williams' soon-to-be-former colleagues — all fellow Democrats — hired him as a full-time court magistrate.
Part-time Magistrate Belinda Hinton was terminated in the shuffle.
At the same time, Williams and four Democratic judges rewarded Williams' campaign consultant, George Hanna, with a new, higher-paying, full-time courthouse job.
Williams' campaign had paid Hanna or his company $1,000 for consulting work last summer, according to election board records filed in Summit County.
Hanna, who had been making minimum wage as a court clerk, will work now as a service bailiff making $44,158 a year, plus benefits.
The judges hired Hanna while terminating bailiff Dawn Brown, a Republican.
Williams would not discuss his new job when reached at his office Friday. He will take over the new position when he leaves the bench later this month.
Judge Kathryn Michael, who was voted in last week as the court's presiding judge, said the moves were not political casualties in the wake of Tuesday's election.
She pointed to at least eight other Republican-connected bailiffs in the court who were not fired. And she reminded critics of occasions when a majority of GOP judges came in and fired many more workers.
''I guess people will make out of it what they want to,'' Michael said.
She said that before Tuesday's election, the court sought to save money by eliminating two part-time magistrates, each of whom received benefits. Hinton and former Magistrate Sophie Albrecht were each paid $27,290 a year in salary to handle civil cases. Albrecht resigned earlier in the year.
Michael said Hinton declined the full-time assignment and it was given to Williams, who was a magistrate before being appointed judge this year.
Williams will make $65,000 a year plus benefits worth about $20,000.
Hinton could not be reached for comment.
The personnel moves were made by the court's Democratic judges, who — for just the next three weeks or so — hold a solid internal voting bloc. With a majority, the judges are free to make personnel moves.
Two Republicans join the courthouse later this month, giving each party three judges and no clear majority.
Voters this week elected GOP candidates Katarina Cook and Tom McCarty over Williams and Judge Stephen Fallis, both Democrats.
Fallis said he refused to sign the orders firing Brown and Hinton because he did not believe the moves were appropriate.
Judges Kathryn Michael, Orlando Williams, Annalisa Williams and Jerry Larson — all Democrats — signed off on the firings.
The court's only current Republican, Judge John Holcomb was not asked to approve either move.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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akron, oh
Posted 07:09 PM, 11/07/2009
No one understands that when the republicans had control of the court they fired all the democrats but one and the only reason they didn't fire her because she wasn't there that day. The republicans left obviously are doing their jobs and the two that were fired were not. At least the democratic judges took that into consideration whereas the republican judges never did.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:41 PM, 11/07/2009
Convicted of a DUI and can move around the Court as he sees fit... Caused a law abiding citizen to lose her job just. Orlando Williams is not qualified to be a Judge or a Magistrate. Why does the Dem Party also push these Drunks through the system?
Posted 08:16 AM, 11/08/2009
In the words of the immortal Talking Heads "Same as it Ever Was"..."Same as it Ever Was"..."Same as it Ever Was".....
akron, oh
Posted 08:46 AM, 11/08/2009
Doesn't look to favorable for the democrats to do this, when they complained about the republicans doing the same thing.
I guess their complaints were meaningless.
ProChoice, OH
Posted 08:54 AM, 11/08/2009
Judge Fallis was a good judge & will be missed.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 09:30 AM, 11/08/2009
Do you know that for sure tellthetruth? I know Dawn Brown and she's one of the hardest working people I know so I find it VERY hard to believe she wasn't doing her job.
akron, oh
Posted 09:44 AM, 11/08/2009
Dawn was disrespectful and the only reason she had that job is because who she's related to. Let's tell the truth. I worked with her at fugutive safe surrender and she treated people even our church members like they were beneath her. She deserved what she got. BOSTON TEA PARTY (we all know who you are) you keep saying the same thing, yet when you all campaigned, you used blatant racism to win the election in Springfield, Lakemore, Mogadore by saying he's the "typical" black man. Who campaigns like that? I know you did because I live out there and it was the talk of our community.
Akron, OH
Posted 10:12 AM, 11/08/2009
Judge Fallis' integrity is commendable. He's leaving with his head held high. Too bad he has to leave at all.
Posted 10:28 AM, 11/08/2009
The sad thing is I don't think anybody is surprised by this. Both sides do shady things like this when their side wins.
Richfield, OH
Posted 10:49 AM, 11/08/2009
Fallis still voted to hire Orlando, so maybe he should hang his head just a little..........
Richfield, OH
Posted 10:51 AM, 11/08/2009
J - The point is, the democrats didn't win! They didn't do this when they first gained power, earlier this year, and then faced the voters about what they had done. They did it after they lost! That Orlando, after losing, would still vote to fire people, especially the one that he will now replace, is disgusting, and I think, unethical.
Akron, OH
Posted 11:02 AM, 11/08/2009
When the republicans time and time again appointed Edna Boyle no said anything. She's been appointed to every position shes had by the republican party. Now everyone wants to criticize the democrats for giving Judge Williams a job? It's not about someone leaving with their heads held high, it's about the republicans being ticked that the people they brought in under their administration, were terminated. Per the article eight republican court employees remain. The unfortunate part to this all is the voters have given a gavel to allow Cook to treat minorities like slaves, but this is what happens when people fail to vote and McCarty will allow his wife to dictate his job to him. As a community leader, I can't wait to visit these court rooms to see how the drama unfolds. Lastly, we all must remember, everything about the court system involves politics. It's just like any branch of government; when a new administration comes in, why would they keep people who are worthless from the prior administration? You don't.
Let us all pray for racial tolerance.
Posted 11:17 AM, 11/08/2009
1justicforal, as a community leader, what are you doing about the explosion of violent crime in Akron? I'm seriously asking because all summer , heck for the lat five years, there has been a marked increase in violent crime in Akron. I don't think I've ever seen you post here about that, and your first post is coming on bad-mouthing a judge and basically calling her a racist. Funny you ask everybody to pray for racial tolerance at the end.
Akron, OH
Posted 11:23 AM, 11/08/2009
J:
The crime is out of control, we all know that. That's what jail is for. But let's lock them up for the crimes they commit, not the color of their skin or what country they come for. Again, pray for racial and ethnic tolerance. She can't help who is she, she's done it for so long, its acceptable to the people around her.
Posted 11:31 AM, 11/08/2009
Okay. I suppose in your world a lot of people get the police called on them, get arrested, go to court, ask for a trial, get a defense attorney, have a trial and then get found guilty because of their skin pigmentation.
Ahh, I shouldn't be starting stuff, we have the same goals...less young people doing crime.
Akron, Oh
Posted 12:06 PM, 11/08/2009
The GOP would have fired everyone, just like they did the last time. If the democrats weren't judging on merit and job performance they would have done the same but its obvious it was more going on with these two employees than what we know.
Akron, Oh
Posted 12:21 PM, 11/08/2009
Congrats Orlando!! Katarina Cook DID Run a Shameful Campaign & Did Not Deserve the Win! Her Campaign Volunteers are Well Known to Slander Every Name They Hold the Smallest Beef Against & They Helped Do That In This Election! I Hope Katarina Knows the REAL Story about the People By Her Side...She Took a Few Self Serving Folks Out of the Ghetto To Throw Her Name Around In Their Circles, them Believing They Were going to Get Jobs When She Won. Beware of BOSTON TEA PARTY, Everything Touched Turns to Dookey!
Akron, OH
Posted 01:13 PM, 11/08/2009
Jobs? If she promised them jobs she clearly mislead them. There are no jobs to give. News flash all city departments have been asked to make cuts.
akron, oh
Posted 02:02 PM, 11/08/2009
Random capitalization only lends credence to the opposition. Remember This.
Akron, Oh
Posted 02:54 PM, 11/08/2009
Shameful!
And where the offense is, let the great axe fall.
William Shakespeare
Richfield, OH
Posted 03:32 PM, 11/08/2009
Community leader, identify yourself! I'm just an average joe, calling it like i see it.
Richfield, OH
Posted 03:33 PM, 11/08/2009
Also, it's a laughable idea that the Dems are judging on job performance......they hired Orlando!
Fairlawn, Oh
Posted 06:45 PM, 11/08/2009
One doth gaze in wonderment whilst jurists claim unselfish implementation of their duties to stand presiding in judgment over others when neither heart nor goodwill is evident. We as community take unto us the outrageous indignation of said individual as punishment for our transgressions for not standing upright nor for repentance.
Akron, OH
Posted 07:24 PM, 11/08/2009
Glad Fallis lost. He made a very bad decision in July and God's wrath took care of him!
Akron, OH
Posted 07:51 PM, 11/08/2009
Tina B you think you are glad Fallis lost....just wait till you see what you got comin' in. HA!
Akron, OH
Posted 08:32 PM, 11/08/2009
You are happy Fallis lost...HA...just wait until his replacement is in. You will be beggin for Fallis back!
Richfield, OH
Posted 08:52 PM, 11/08/2009
Fallis was fair, and McCarty will be too.
Akron, OH
Posted 10:10 PM, 11/08/2009
I hope you are right! Akron needs fair!
Posted 11:50 PM, 11/08/2009
i say we cancel the next elections and just fight over positions....
Posted 11:51 PM, 11/08/2009
voting is useless in summit county
oıɥo 'uoɹʞɐ, ㏊㏊
Posted 01:06 AM, 11/09/2009
EO, you're right with acorn stealing all the votes.
Posted 06:32 AM, 11/09/2009
The democrats do have a lot of power in this County. Look at the quality of elected officials we have. Elected officials making bad decisions, wrong decisions and people vote them back in. If you have a "D" by your name you get elected. Does not matter how bad you are all that counts is if you have the "D" by the name.
Akron, OH
Posted 06:43 AM, 11/09/2009
Two incumbant D's lost the election David...
Akron, OH
Posted 01:01 PM, 11/09/2009
tellthetruth & 1justicforal (your identity is known as well) - such POOR LOSERS! Hope it makes you feel better to talk all that mess and throw out all those lies!
