| ► Toledo Blade – 05/12/01 – Critic says 9 judges stealing from state |
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Toledo Blade – May 12, 2001 – Critic says 9 judges stealing from state
By James Drew and Dale Emch – 12:57
Blade Staff Writers
COLUMBUS – A critic of the judicial system is accusing four retired visiting judges in northwest Ohio of theft.
David Palmer, of Powell, Ohio, states in criminal complaints filed in Franklin County Municipal Court that the judges have been either overcompensated for their daily wages or filed bogus expense reports for meals and lodging.
The local judges named by Mr. Palmer include Stephen Yarbrough of Sylvania; Richard McQuade, Jr. of Swanton; June Rose Galvin of Marblehead, and Robert G. Wilson of Bryan.
He has filed complaints against five other retired visiting judges, all of whom travel around the state to hear cases at the request of county courts with the approval of the Ohio Supreme Court [Chief Justice Thomas Moyer].
Hearings are scheduled May 24 and May 30 on some of the cases.
Mr. Palmer, formerly of Maumee, is executing director of the one-man Committee to Expose Dishonest and Incompetent Attorneys and Judges. He is facing a charge of practicing law without a license by the state Supreme Court’s office of disciplinary counsel [appointees of Chief Justice Thomas Moyer]..
He alleges in his theft-in-office complaints that some of the judges have billed the state twice for on day’s work. Janet Robinson, director of the human resources department at the Ohio Supreme Court, said judges only can be paid for one day’s work regardless of the number of hours they work on that day or cases they handle.
She said judges have reimbursed the court when it’s been discovered that they’ve either improperly billed the state or when Supreme Court staff has made computer errors that resulted in a double payment.
The complaints allege the following overbillings; $5,850 for Judge Stephen Yarbrough; $3,906 for Judge Richard McQuade; $804 for Judge June Rose Galvin; and $735 for Judge Robert Wilson.
Judge Yarbrough did not return a call seeking comment. Mike Close, his Columbus attorney, said he hasn’t seen all the complaints, but called those he had seen “bogus.” He said he things the charges will be dismissed.
“There are a few of the younger judges who are very active,” Mr. Close said. “In the process of a year, they might have 200 assignments. The fact that there are a few bookkeeping errors [over 500 just for Judge Richard McQuade and Judge Stephen Yarbrough] during that period of time certainly doesn’t indicate that there was any criminal intent.”
Judge McQuade said the criminal complaints filed in Columbus mark the latest attack in a series Mr. Palmer has waged against him. He said Mr. Palmer has filed lawsuits against him in various courts and jurisdictions because he presided over trials that didn’t go Mr. Palmer’s way.
He dismissed the latest allegations Mr. Palmer has lodged against him.
“I have never, never [purposely] billed for the same date twice” [did it 19 times] Judge Richard McQuade said.
Judge June Rose Galvin said copies of compensation reports she sent to the Supreme Court show she did not double-bill the state.
“I’ve been doing this for enough years to know that I would never purposely do this,” Judge June Rose Galvin said.
Judge Robert Wilson said he won’t comment on the allegations until he has seen the complaints.
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