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Youngstown judge calls end to video arraignments ‘shocking’
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Judge Kolby
YOUNGSTOWN
A municipal judge has described the decision by Mahoning County Sheriff Randall A. Wellington to cancel video arraignments from the county jail as “shocking.” Wellington wrote in a Jan. 12 letter to the three municipal judges here that he would be forced to cancel the initial appearances of inmates by video from the jail he operates, effective Feb. 6, because of a 3 percent reduction in his budget this year.
With 37 deputies still laid off and two prisoner-housing units still closed due to insufficient funding, “I have no choice but to redirect the deputies that supported that function to other required tasks within jail operations,” the sheriff wrote.
The sheriff’s budget this year is $14.1 million.
“In today’s technologically advanced day and age, we will be forced to revert back to the Dark Ages, when the physical transport of prisoners was the only way to accomplish the arraignment process,” wrote Judge Elizabeth A. Kobly in a Jan. 13 memorandum to city officials.
Because of the need for 20 to 30 inmates to again be physically present under extremely crowded conditions, court security staff will have to be increased, and city police will have to transport prisoners daily from jail to court and back to jail, Judge Kobly wrote.
“I fear that the elimination of video arraignments is going to cost the city of Youngstown more in the long run than anyone could have anticipated,” Judge Kobly wrote.
The judge’s memorandum did not offer any estimates of the costs to the city for extra court security or for city police to transport inmates to and from court.
“With the unrealistic budgetary restraints that have been placed on this office, we are being forced into an especially difficult situation,” the sheriff wrote.
Comments
Just a political move so he can try to get sympathy and more $. It will take more deputies to escort in and out of the prison than it took to run the camera.
“In today’s technologically advanced day and age, we will be forced to revert back to the Dark Ages..."
Sheriff Wellington,
All is not Well-ington regarding city & county finances.
If you cannot run your department within a 14+ MILLION DOLLARS BUDGET, YOU are still in The Dark Ages!
Retire & allow a more capable individual take responsibility or LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS.
Video is/was a less expensive option.
Retribution is NOT your option, Sheriff NOTWellington.
This makes absolutely NO sense at all. He's trying to tell us that it is less expensive to transport a prisoner across downtown to the courthouse, than it is to simply sit him down at the jail and turn on the camera?
Seriously???
"Because of the need for 20 to 30 inmates to again be physically present under extremely crowded conditions, court security staff will have to be increased, and city police will have to transport prisoners daily from jail to court and back to jail, Judge Kobly wrote."
Do you people that post here read the articles? Or do you just run around like blabbering idiots? The cost is now on YPD and the city. Good on them. Many years ago when I worked the arresting agency had to transport and make arrangements for arraignment. They also had to PAY for their inmates to stay in a county jail and not a city jail. Why should the county pay for city inmates? Get your facts straight, please.
@Superstar7 - Judge Kobly made that statement, not the sheriff.
I agree with Cass Ann, move to get more $. He knows this plan will never actually come to pass.
Pgurney, I totally agree:
This makes absolutely NO sense at all. He's trying to tell us that it is less expensive to transport a prisoner across downtown to the courthouse, than it is to simply sit him down at the jail and turn on the camera?
Seriously???
This is just another black eye for the Mahoning Valley. Rapists get no time, people who steal $22k from the police departments get no time, and now it's too expensive to arraign people ON TV?? SICKENING!