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YOUNGSTOWN -- A trial of West Side man accused of raping a 1-year-old that's been repeatedly delayed, in part because of the pandemic, is underway in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Jury selection was completed during the noon hour and opening statements and testimony were to begin Monday afternoon in the case of Ronald Paris, 28, of Roy Street, who faces a first-degree felony charge of rape and unrelated charges of harassment with a bodily substance and obstructing official business.
If found guilty of the rape charge, Paris could get a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Paris was indicted on the rape charge in November 2019, while the harassment and obstructing official business charges stemmed from a 2021 incident in the Mahoning County jail.
The trial has been delayed 10 times, mostly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other legal issues.
Paris on Jan. 10, 2022, sent a letter to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony M. D'Apolito stating he was upset with his attorney because the trial kept being delayed.
In the letter, Paris also threatened D'Apolito, who warned Paris he would be further charged if the threats continued.
Court records show a deposition was taken July 12 from prosecution witness Dr. James Lee.
Jail records show Paris has been incarcerated in the Mahoning County jail without bond since his Nov. 13, 2019, arrest by federal marshals.
The trial is expected to resume this morning.