UPDATED AT 1:55 PM
The Stark County Political Report just minutes ago published under a "new" SCPR sidebar "Breaking News" feature a blurb to the effect that the legal team (now including, in addition to Greg Beck and James Matthews, local attorney and civic activist Craig T. Conley) representing interim Sheriff Tim Swanson has decided - for now - not to file a quo warranto with the Ohio Supreme Court seeking a second ouster of George T. Maier as Stark County sheriff.
Readers will recall that Maier was first appointed by 92 of 175 members of the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee (SCDP-CC) [February 5, 2013]) to the office of sheriff due to the inability of Sheriff-elect Mike McDonald to take office on January 7th due to an illness which claimed his life on February 22nd.
On November 6, 2013, the Ohio Supreme Court ousted Maier from office in sustaining a "post-'the February meeting'"- a quo warranto filing (February 12, 2013) by Swanson.
The Swanson legal team's plan now is, the SCPR is told, to file a challenge to Maier's filing with the Stark County Board of Elections (BOE) petitions to run for Stark County sheriff in the Stark County Democratic Party primary election on May 6, 2014.
Of course, readers of the SCPR know that The Report has been writing for some time that a successful BOE sited challenge to Maier being certified as a "qualified" sheriff candidate in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 311.01 is key to the question of whether or not Maier remain sheriff after December 31, 2014.
Should Maier fail to qualify under BOE scrutiny and analysis, then look for the Swanson legal team to the file the heretofore Greg Beck promised "second" quo warranto that has been a headliner in area media of late.
While the Swanson lawyers expect to be successful in the BOE challenge, the SCPR gets the impression - even if - the BOE certifies Maier that it is likely that a second quo warranto will be filed.
As if Maier does not face enough with the prospect of:
- a BOE challenge,
- a second quo warranto - whether or not he gets certified as qualified by the BOE
The Report understands that should Swanson prevail in a "personal liability" on Maier lawsuit, he will offset his attorney fees in pressing his quo warranto(s), and then donate any remainder to chairty.
Moreover, Conley tells the SCPR that his client Thomas Marcelli's lawsuit is still in order and that his client - as of now - is planning on continuing his "for the Stark County taxpayer" civil lawsuit filed a month or so ago against Maier.
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