BACKROOM POLITICS IN FULL SWING WITH DEMS AS TO WHOM IS GOING TO BE STARK COUNTY'S NEXT SHERIFF?

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SUBTOPICS:

SWANSON PICKS LT. LOUIS A. DARROW AS HIS CHOICE?

GEORGE MAIER SCRAMBLING TO GET QUALIFICATIONS TOGETHER?

WAS SWANSON PROPERLY SWORN IN AS "INTERIM" STARK COUNTY SHERIFF?

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Since it became public knowledge that the recently elected Mike McDonald (November, 2012) was unable to take office on January 7th because of an illness, many have been curious as to whom Sheriff Swanson preferred be named sheriff to replace McDonald.

The naming is to be done by the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee (SCDPCC).

Swanson was sworn-in as interim Sheriff for as many of the 45 days (from January 7th) as need be until the SCDPCC acts.

But first,  just as an aside, the question has been raised to the SCPR as to whether or not Swanson was legally sworn-in as interim sheriff.

Yours truly thinks this is an riveting question that Prosecutor John Ferrero should address in press release form.

Why the question?

Because Swanson was sworn-in on Friday (January 4th) and Mike McDonald was not eligible to be sworn-in, if he were able, until 12:01 AM Monday, January 7th.

Hmm?

So wouldn't the interim have had to be sworn-in at 12:01 AM on Monday, January 7th?

Since Swanson was sworn-in anew while he was under an existing having been sworn-in in 2009, was the January 4th swearing in effective?  Does Stark County even have a legally sworn-in in sheriff?

Stark County Assistant Prosecutor Deborah Dawson was in attendance as Swanson was sworn-in on the 4th by sheriff department legal counsel Vivianne Whalen Duffrin.

One would think that Dawson looking on and Duffrin swearing-in and Commissioner Tom Bernabei (also an attorney and former long time Canton law director) holding the Good Book, that all the legal p's and  q's would have had to be in order.

So the SCPR, more or less, cited to the questioner.

Hmm?  The questioner was not satisfied.

Questioner's response:  Stark County prosecutor's office has been wrong a number of times on advice given in the recent past.

Hmm?

Okay.

Well, Mr. Prosecutor? What's the legal rationale for having Swanson sworn-in before his term expired?

Originally, The Report is told Swanson was a George Maier man (Massillon's safety director and former #2 in the Ohio State Highway Patrol).   He had commissioned Maier as a reserve deputy.

And Maier has been seen at area high school football games in a deputy's uniform.  One has to wonder whether or not he stores the deputy sheriff uniform on a mannequin right next to the mannequin (the SCPR is told) adorned with an Ohio State Highway Patrol uniform and which sits in his Massillon safety director office?

But Swanson himself raised the question last Friday in an interview with the SCPR of whether or not Maier was eligible by the criteria of Ohio Revised Code Section.

So being a reserve deputy is not a enough to qualify as sheriff?

Perhaps, Swanson is convinced that such is the case given the following unbelievable account.

Last Saturday morning at about 5:30 AM "interim?" Sheriff Timothy Swanson assembled his deputies for swearing-in.

But the sheriff was not content just do the swearing-in and let it go at that.

No, not Sheriff Tim.

He let loose with a bombshell of an announcement.

The recently promoted  (August, 2012?) to lieutenant (from sergeant) Louis (Lou) A. Darrow, Swanson reportedly told the rank-and-file, was going to be the new Stark County sheriff.

Stunned!!! were the assembled deputies, The Report is told.

Until he was promoted, the SCPR is told that he was basically road patrol man for a number of years.  He gets promoted and the next thing you know he is going to be sheriff?

He must be a first rate deputy because on February 2, 2010 he was recognized as Deputy of the Year at an annual Stark County safety forces breakfast conclave.

Media reports on his department history include that he:

• has been with the county sheriff's department since 1987,
• started as a corrections offices, but since
• has worked in the civil and operations divisions, and
• has done investigations
• and, to repeat, was recently promoted to lieutenant

The whole scenario is interesting, no?

The Report has asked Swanson to confirm his reported statements on Darrow.  However, the SCPR's source in the judgment of yours truly is impeccable.

So far, no response from Swanson.

So where does leave all the political wheeling and dealing as to whom is going to be Stark County's next sheriff, and maybe even, pending Ferrero letting us know, who is our current sheriff?

With all due respect to the sheriff, the SCPR finds it hard to believe that he can convince the Stark County Dems to appoint Darrow.

Maybe the sheriff is more powerful in the backrooms of the Stark County Democratic Party than yours truly has previously thought?

Elevating Darrow may be Swanson's wish, but can he make it stick?

The Report's thinking?

Probably not.

The focus will likely continue to be on either Maier or Tom Ream (Canton's safety director).

It has been suggested to The Report that the dearth of news of who will succeed McDonald could be because Maier is scrambling to find out whether or not he can be appointed sheriff without meeting statutory requirements and given a grace period to meet those requirements.

Now tell me, is this really wild stuff or is this really wild stuff?

And the SCPR thinks this may be just the beginning of the backroom wheeling and dealing!