Judge in Anthony Sowell backs off from Reporter
Posted on 17. Mar, 2010 by Shera Crossan in Foreign and Domestic Intelligence, Hidden Crimes, Shera Crossan
A judge threatened to arrest a newspaper reporter who saw a psychiatric evaluation of a serial-killing suspect, then backed off Wednesday when she learned that her predecessor in the case had made it available.
The story by Gabriel Baird of The Plain Dealer said the psychiatric report concluded that suspect Anthony Sowell was unlikely to assault women after he finished a prison term for attempted rape.
Sowell was arrested and released without charges in 2008 after a woman alleged he attacked her. But the remains of 11 women were found at his home in fall 2009.
His attorneys told Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold that the leak of the psychiatric report called into question the ability of the court system in Cleveland
Saffold had ordered Baird arrested after he missed a hearing called Tuesday to find out his source.
The order and the rescinded threat come during Sunshine Week, when news organizations promote open government and freedom of information. McGinty was randomly assigned to handle the Sowell trial but stepped aside Dec. 10 over e-mails he had sent to the newspaper.
She wanted to have his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
The psychiatric report concluded that suspect Anthony Sowell was unlikely to assault women. The psychiatric report called into question the ability of the court system in Cleveland. It also calls into question the ability of the judge, which explains the possible real reason the judge was pissed.