WARREN — During Wednesday’s Trumbull County commissioners meeting, commissioners authorized the prosecutor’s office to file an application with Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to hire the law firm of Montgomery Jonson LLP of Cincinnati to represent the court’s domestic relations division at $250 per hour to provide legal advice in a case dealing with Trumbull County Children Services.

The commissioners also authorized the county prosecutor to seek the appointment of attorney Jennifer Ciccone and the Ciccone Law Firm at a cost of $250 per hour to represent the Trumbull County Clerk of Courts office in the appeal of two cases.

“These are both conflict of interest situations for our office, because we represent both parties,” Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Bill Danso said. “We try to avoid hiring outside counsel when we can because of the cost to the county.”

So far in 2025, the county has hired outside counsel one other time — to represent the engineering department — according to prosecutor records.

The county in 2024 hired outside counsel for four issues, including the Warren Township Dam challenge, fraud accusations in the auditor’s office made by Bazetta trustees and two cases dealing with the development of the Kimberly-Clark project.

By comparison, commissioners authorized the hiring of outside counsel eight times in 2023. Among the cases in which attorneys were hired included the county seeking advice on a lawsuit filed by former Commissioner Niki Frenchko; water bill enforcement regulations, annexation of land between Warren and Warren Township and others.

“Sometimes you just need a mediator to listen to both sides and provide advice,” Danso said.

JAIL MEDICAL CONTRACT

Also Wednesday, commissioners approved seeking sealed proposals to engage the services of an outside physician and / or professional medical corporation to provide medical care and treatment for the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office for inmates at the county jail.

Trumbull County Sheriff’s Major Dave Bobby, jail administrator, noted that Dr. Phillip P. Malvasi has one year left on his contract to provide medical services in the jail. They want to begin a search for a company to provide medical services now in case Malvasi decides he will not seek a new contract.

Bobby said Malvasi has been providing medical services at the jail for 27 years.

“We don’t know if he is interested in returning,” Bobby said. “I have not sat down and talked to him. However, the process takes so long, we need to start it now.”

Bobby noted it costs the county approximately $1.2 million per year for Malvasi’s staff and services.

“That does not include all of the additional medical expenses that we have to pay in addition to that,” he noted. “Our medical services for the county currently is approximately $2.4 million for the year.”

The sheriff’s office is looking to implement a comprehensive contract that would include medical and mental health and addiction services over the next two years. Bobby noted the county jail’s inmate population is averaging 300 inmates. It previously averaged 220 to 230 inmates.