Tracie Hunter gets new trial date скачать в хорошем качестве

Tracie Hunter gets new trial date

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio (Rich Jaffe) -- "Case isn't about race, but from the last jury trial sounds like that's what it came down to and that's unfortunate, and that's an issue I have to deal with." Tracie Hunter's attorney said his client cannot get a fair trial in Hamilton County and asked her new judge to step down. Hamilton county commissioner Todd Portune told Local 12 News he thought trying Tracie Hunter again on charges her first jury deadlocked on was a waste of money. Portune said since money for the courts comes out of the county's general fund, the commissioners should have a say on whether the trial proceeds. While commissioners debate that aspect the case will move forward with Hunter's new trial scheduled to begin June 1. The hearing could have been simple but it wasn't. The goal was to set a new trial date for now-convicted Judge Tracie Hunter on eight charges on which her original jury deadlocked. It got especially heated when special prosecutor Scott Croswell told the court Hunter was "playing games," and Hunter started telling the judge what to do. Judge Patrick Dinkelacker and Hunter went back and forth. The judge told her, "You don't need to say anything," to which Hunter responded, "That's fine but make sure ..." Judge Dinkelacker: "What did I just say?" Hunter: "Make sure he does not disrespect me." Outside the courtroom Local 12 asked Bennett, "Scott Croswell says your client is playing games, Is she playing games?" He replied, "No she's not playing games. She never has played a game. She's not a woman that plays games. She's a woman of faith and substance. Standing on your constitutional right is not playing a game." The morning got off to a rocky start when Hunter's attorney told Judge Patrick Dinkelacker he should recuse himself because he sat on the court of appeals while Hunter's case was in trial. Judge Dinkelacker refused, and Bennett said he'd file a motion with the Supreme Court to remove him from the case. The judge then told Bennett to pick a trial date. Bennett asked for a continuance, and the judge said no. Tracie Hunter's new trial has to take place in what all parties agree is a reasonable time. But when the time came for her attorney Clyde Bennett to pick a date, he chose Sept. 15, something the judge said was unreasonable. The judge explained to Hunter and her attorney, "I'm ready to go again tomorrow, so I don't want you or anybody else to believe that the court is the one that's continuing this out. It's all on you and your client." With the prosecutor and the judge ready for trial, everyone eventually agreed on June 1, as long as the court of appeals doesn't say the judge has a conflict of interest. A jury convicted Tracie Hunter on one charge of having an unlawful interest in a county contract, a charge that comes from her involvement in the county's termination of her brother's job. She remains out on bond, prior to serving her six month jail sentence, which is on appeal. Follow Rich Jaffe on Twitter @rajaffe, and LIKE him on Facebook.