Judge dismisses petition for special prosecutor in case against several Mahoning County officials

A judge has rejected a motion for the appointment of a special prosecutor in a case against several Mahoning County officials on Wednesday.

Attorney Marty Desmond told 21 News a visiting judge struck the petition down, but there was no motion to dismiss, only a motion to strike. Desmond did not know the specifics of this motion.

Desmond says he would need to look at the motion for himself to see what the reason for throwing out the petition was and will be able to determine whether or not to file an appeal once he finds that out.

Desmond is accusing Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova, Commissioners Carol Rimedio-Righetti and David Ditzler and County Administrator Audrey Tillis of covering up a politically-motivated firing of a county employee.

In 2022, Tillis fired maintenance worker Ricky Morrison. Morrison sued her and alleged that he was fired because he supported Rimedio-Righetti's opponent in that year's election.

Morrison's attorney's alleged DeGenova's investigation was a sham meant to cover up the commissioners' wrongdoing.

DeGenova denied these allegations and told 21 News they stemmed from an ugly divorce and described it as a "tactless, gutter politics strategy."

You can read more about the case and the accused parties' responses to the allegations against them in our related coverage below.

RELATED COVERAGE:

Court filing accuses several Mahoning County officials of cover up scheme