John Curry: Sidaway trial one week away

It is only one week away from Hazel Sidaway's trial at the Franklin County Courthouse. For those of you who aren't familiar with Ms. Sidaway: she is a former STRS Board member and has been charged with ethics violations during her tenure at STRS. This week or next Monday her attorney will either have to fish or cut bait- ie. he'll either ask for a postponment, cop a plea, or go through with a trial to the judge (as opposed to a trial by jury) as scheduled. These options remain open right up until the scheduled trial on Monday, December 12.

Remember that Hazel has been charged with 7 counts of Ohio ethics violations (all misdemeanors). The particuilars of the time concerning this trial is listed below:

HEARING SCHEDULED Event: COURT TRIAL Date: 12/12/2005 Time: 10:00 am Judge: MAYNARD, W DWAYNE Location: 14D LOCATED ON THE 14TH FLOOR

An editorial by Dr. Paul Kostyu(12-13-05 Canton Repository) said this, and I qoute, about Sidaway:

" She spent $54,216 in expenses in her last three years on the board, including trips to Honolulu, Boston, New York and Florida. She called her critics, who were State Teachers Retirement System members, ignorant. The board spent $4,100 of system dollars to throw her a going-away party in June."

(Note, the full text of this article is attached)

It has been said that the Executive Director of the Ohio Ethics Commission (David Freel) is withholding additional charges against some other past and present STRS Board members and associates (employees) until this case has run its course.

John, a Proud CORE member