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WARREN – Commissioner Niki Frenchko said Friday she intends to file a federal lawsuit on Monday “to protect herself and the Constitution” from officials in Trumbull County, whom she claims abuse their “police power to punish political rivals.”
In an advance copy of the suit provided by Frenchko’s attorneys, Frenchko names fellow Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa, former Commissioner Frank Fuda, Sheriff Paul Monroe in a federal lawsuit citing violations of her First Fourth and 14th Constitutional rights as well as Ohio law violations for their actions surrounding her July 7, 2022, arrest during a commissioners meeting.
Frenchko is planning to have more details of the lawsuit after it is filed in Northern Ohio District Court in Youngstown on Monday. She has scheduled a news conference for noon at the offices of Attorney David Betras in Boardman. Also expected to attend is attorney Matt Miller-Novak of Cincinnati who helped in filing other lawsuits dealing with public meeting law violations against Trumbull County governments.
“Indeed, seldom has any government stooped so low as to publicly arrest a political rival during her own meeting for nothing more than criticizing the establishment and refusing to submit to a compelled apology,” Frenchko said.
Eight persons are to be named as defendants. In addition to Monroe, Cantalamessa and Fuda, the two deputies who arrested and handcuffed Frenchko are named.
Frenchko was booked on disorderly charges, a fourth-degree misdemeanor in Warren Municipal Court. The case was later dismissed.
She was handcuffed during the July 7, 2022, meeting during a contenious point in the meeting where discussion centered on an inmate who Frenchko claimed was diagnosed at the hospital with meningitis and was not treated properly at the jail. At the behest of Commissioner Frank Fuda, the commissioners clerk was reading a letter from Monroe asking Frenchko to apologize for these allegations that were made at an earlier meeting.
When Frenchko spoke over the clerk, Cantalamessa said she was being disruptive. A sheriffás deputy also said Frenchko was disruptive, then two deputies led her from the room in handcuffs.
Frenchko claimed the arrest was a âset up.ã
When reached Friday, Canatalamessa said he was not aware of the intended suit and declined to comment. Attempts to reach Monroe and Fuda were not immediately unsuccessful.