CINCINNATI — The verdict will remain “guilty” in the case of embattled former Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge Tracie Hunter, the Ohio First District Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
A jury convicted Hunter on one count of unlawful interest in a public contract in October 2014, for helping her brother, a county employee, in a disciplinary hearing.
Hunter was scheduled for a re-trial on eight additional felony counts after the jury was hung. That trial is set to begin on Jan. 19 before Hamilton County Judge Patrick Dinkelacker.
In the decision, Judge Russell Mock said Hunter’s conviction was based on “sufficient evidence” and that “the trial court properly denied her motion for an acquittal.”
In her appeal, Hunter also charged that the prosecution’s commentary during rebuttal closing arguments deprived her of a fair trial. The appeals court also ruled this was not the case.
In August 2015, Hunter filed a federal lawsuit claiming county leaders and attorneys violated her civil rights. Defendants in that case include Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, Juvenile Court Judge John Williams, Municipal Court Judge Curt Kissinger, Court of Appeals judges, retired Judge Norbert Nadel and a list of court administrators and attorneys.
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WCPO's Brian Mains contributed to this report.
