Events Calendar
In This Section
Researcher says she found text on Shroud of Turin
Ohio native takes second place on 'Project Runway'
White House at odds with bishops over abortion
End of an era: Oprah ending show after 25 years
Kin want right to sue after man assumed dead
Sen. Kerry's daughter arrested in LA on DUI
Raw Video: Cop Crashes Into Car Killing 2 Teens
Hundreds of rotting deer in yard cause big stink (with video)
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Review: You've never seen 'Sound of Music' like this
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Actor Bernsen enjoying ride of derby movie project
High-tech company expands downtown
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (68) Democrats Secure 60 Votes for Cloture
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By John Seewer
Associated Press writer
POSTED: 03:06 p.m. EDT, May 20, 2008
The Ohio Supreme Court scolded a county judge today for taking too much time in ruling on cases before his court, some which languished for up to two years.
It's the first time the court has disciplined a judge for failing to manage cases in a timely manner.
The state's high court reviewed the work of Sandusky County Judge Harry Sargeant Jr. and said it found unnecessary delays in cases that included child-support and divorce disputes.
Ohio Chief Justice Thomas Moyer said unjustified delays diminish confidence in the legal system and had a profound impact on those involved, including children.
Sargeant left many people ''in a legal limbo, often for a period of years,'' Moyer wrote in the court's 6-1 opinion.
All courts in Ohio have rules that set guidelines on how long cases should take to be resolved.
Sargeant, who has been a judge in Sandusky County since 1979, often kept cases pending for longer than the time guidelines, according to the court, which reviewed the judge's cases from 1998 through 2007.
Sargeant's attorney, Charles Kettlewell, said today that the delays were caused by a need for more staff and miscommunications between the court and attorneys who had cases before the judge.
The court said Sargeant agreed that he violated provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The court also noted that he cooperated fully in the disciplinary proceedings and has hired a law clerk to help with his caseload.
In one divorce case filed in September 2003, Sargeant conducted a hearing a year later, but he did not make a final decision until August 2006 after an attorney filed a grievance. The woman who filed for divorce and her attorney had twice before asked the judge when a decision would be made, the court said.
Time guidelines for courts say that divorce cases involving children should be resolved within 18 months while divorces without children should be taken care of within a year.
AP-CS-05-20-08 1537EDT
The Ohio Supreme Court scolded a county judge today for taking too much time in ruling on cases before his court, some which languished for up to two years.
It's the first time the court has disciplined a judge for failing to manage cases in a timely manner.
The state's high court reviewed the work of Sandusky County Judge Harry Sargeant Jr. and said it found unnecessary delays in cases that included child-support and divorce disputes.
Ohio Chief Justice Thomas Moyer said unjustified delays diminish confidence in the legal system and had a profound impact on those involved, including children.
Sargeant left many people ''in a legal limbo, often for a period of years,'' Moyer wrote in the court's 6-1 opinion.
All courts in Ohio have rules that set guidelines on how long cases should take to be resolved.
Sargeant, who has been a judge in Sandusky County since 1979, often kept cases pending for longer than the time guidelines, according to the court, which reviewed the judge's cases from 1998 through 2007.
Sargeant's attorney, Charles Kettlewell, said today that the delays were caused by a need for more staff and miscommunications between the court and attorneys who had cases before the judge.
The court said Sargeant agreed that he violated provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The court also noted that he cooperated fully in the disciplinary proceedings and has hired a law clerk to help with his caseload.
In one divorce case filed in September 2003, Sargeant conducted a hearing a year later, but he did not make a final decision until August 2006 after an attorney filed a grievance. The woman who filed for divorce and her attorney had twice before asked the judge when a decision would be made, the court said.
Time guidelines for courts say that divorce cases involving children should be resolved within 18 months while divorces without children should be taken care of within a year.
AP-CS-05-20-08 1537EDT
Comments
Click here to post your comments
