| ► Cleveland Plain Dealer - 09/06/01 - Court reviews payment files after judges get checks twice |
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THE PLAIN DEALER
Cleveland, Ohio
Court reviews payment files after judges get checks twice
06/06-01
By T.C. BROWN
COLUMBUS-The Ohio Supreme Court has requested an independent review of its procedures for paying visiting judges after finding that some of those judges have been overpaid.
Officials said state Auditor Jim Petro will review payments to judges since July 1, 1997.
In the past month, eight judges have returned nearly $9,000 in overpayments to the court. The court has found more than $11,000 in overpayments made since July, when the system was automated.
Court spokesman Jay Wuebbold said the court found out two weeks ago that some judges had gotten double payments.
Court officials deny that David Palmer of Powell, Ohio, triggered the review after he recently filed 57 felony theft charges against nine visiting retired judges. Palmer has claimed that the judges overbilled 32 counties up to $50,000 in stipends, meals and lodging. The charges were dismissed pending further investigation by the Franklin County prosecutor.
Palmer, angry over "legal shenanigans" his wife experienced after a 1987 car accident, began making allegations against judges in 1997.
Palmer said yesterday that he expects eventually to gather as many as 400,000 billing records and to file more charges.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's disciplinary system is investigating Palmer, alleging that he is practicing law without a license.
Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer assigns judges, including retired judges, to fill benches in cases of illness and potential conflicts of interest.
The court is expected to pay $3.4 million to judges in fiscal year 2001, which ends this month. In 2000, 2,615 visiting-judge assignments were made.
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