Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer

Landlord Liable in Dog Attack

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:33:14 +0000

The Kentucky Supreme Court has issued a potentially groundbreaking opinion that a landlord can be held liable when a tenant’s dog attacks someone, but the ruling didn’t help a Newport family that brought the lawsuit. Kentucky landlords may now be forced to pay higher premiums for their insurance, may be less likely to allow tenants to have dogs or may more strictly enforce policies that tenants carry renter’s insurance, say landlords’ advocates.

Early-Release Prisoners Receive Violations

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:59:40 +0000

As Kentucky prepares to grant early parole to an estimated 204 additional prisoners in February, state correction officials say implementation of the controversial penal code reform is going smoothly. The prisoners will be paroled throughout February and are in addition to the 952 prisoners who were released in January. The monthly releases are being made under the Mandatory Re-Entry Supervision program, a legislative initiative to reduce prison costs and populations.

Lawmakers Study Capital Punishment System

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:27:23 +0000

Kentucky’s attempts to execute a Cincinnati man who abducted, raped and killed a manager of the now defunct Barleycorn’s Yacht Club in Newport faces a new hurdle. Lawmakers want time to look at a two-year study of the state’s capital punishment system by the American Bar Association. The study, presented to members of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday in Frankfort, found state or federal courts overturned the sentences or convictions of 50 of the 78 people sent to death row since the 1976.

Nonprofit Turns Some Away

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:02:45 +0000

Brenda Hall had a home for her and the four grandchildren to spend Christmas in because of help from the nonprofit group that provides civil legal aid to residents across the region. “It’s been a godsend,” the 56-year-old said of Legal Aid of the Bluegrass. “It would have been really hard to move right before Christmas.” The group went to court last week to stop the eviction of Hall and the grandchildren she raises. The landlord claimed she violated her lease because her grandson, who is an honor student, didn’t get along with a neighbor’s child.

Ben-Gal Cheerleader Subject of Investigations

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleader and Northern Kentucky teacher Sarah Jones, who gained national attention by suing a gossip website that claimed she was promiscuous, is now the subject of two investigations. Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway has been asked to assign a special prosecutor to a criminal case. And the board that certifies teachers in Kentucky is also investigating Jones. She resigned Nov. 30 from Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood. Unknown is what the 26-year-old Jones has been accused of doing.

Group Targets Northern Kentucky Pensions

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:24:13 +0000

Dozens of Northern Kentucky public employees will be “pension millionaires” once they retire, according to estimates released by a national anti-tax group. The Chicago-based Taxpayers United of America looked at employees of Boone County, Kenton County, the counties’ school districts and Florence. The group’s vice president, Christina Tobin, used a press conference on Tuesday at the Courtyard by Marriott to accuse Covington officials of refusing to provide salary information for their current employees.

Former School Treasurer Charged With Theft

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:27:53 +0000

The former treasurer of Beechwood High School Athletic Boosters was indicted Thursday in Kenton County on a charge she stole from the nonprofit group. Shelli Slusher, 44, is charged with theft by deception of more than $10,000, a felony punishable by five years to 10 years in prison. Court records didn't indicate how much money is unaccounted for but the alleged theft occurred from January 2005 to June 2010.

Court Hears Private School Issue

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:31:26 +0000

The federal appeals court in Cincinnati has been asked to rule on an issue which could affect hundreds of students wanting to play sports at private high schools across Kentucky. A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Wednesday on the constitutionality of a Kentucky High School Athletic Association rule that sets limits on academic scholarships. The plaintiffs, Richard and Nancy Evans, who sued on behalf of their daughter, say the rule discriminates on the basis of religion.

Ownership of Millions in Fireworks Questioned

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:14:45 +0000

Lawyers seeking compensation for legal fireworks seized from a Northern Kentucky entrepreneur say the federal government has spent millions of dollars in storing the pyrotechnics during four years of legal wrangling.

North Kentucky Leads in "Detained" Youth

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:56:22 +0000

Kentucky detains the second highest number of youths in the nation for behavior that would not be considered illegal if committed by an adult. While national child advocates say Kentucky has been proactive in lowering the number of youths locked up for misbehaving - skipping school, running away or being out of control - the state's ranking is skewed by Northern Kentucky counties that jail an unusually high number of children.

Attorney Could Lose More than License

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:33:42 +0000

Stan Chesley was asked a few years ago if he ever would consider walking away from the law career that has brought him more fame, wealth and influence than the former shoe salesman ever thought possible. "I've known a lot of lawyers, and there's nothing sadder than when they retire," Chesley said in that 2006 interview. "People completely forget about them." The job he couldn't imagine giving up could be taken from him unless he can convince the Kentucky Supreme Court later this summer that he did not violate ethics rules and should be allowed to keep his law license. The state bar association's board of governors recommended disbarment last week.

Ohio Lawyer faces Kentucky Disbarment

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:04:19 +0000

If the Kentucky Bar Association Board of Governors votes to disbar Stan Chesley on Tuesday in Lexington, it would be a professional death sentence for Cincinnati's most famous lawyer - known as the "Master of Disaster." The same trial commissioner who recommended disbarment also wants Chesley to return $7.6 million of the $20 million he was paid in fees from a Boone County settlement for people sickened by the diet drug fen-phen. Since Kentucky has a reciprocal agreement with Ohio, Chesley could lose his law license in Ohio if he is disbarred in Kentucky.

Many Kentuckians Don't Reclaim Bail Money

Jim Hannah, The Kentucky Enquirer — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:29:06 +0000

NEWPORT - Tens of thousands of dollars worth of bail bonds are being turned over to the Kentucky State Treasury each year because people who posted the bonds fail to claim the money after the defendant shows up in court. Campbell Circuit Clerk Taunya Nolan Jack is trying to track down those people and return their money before it has to be turned over to the state treasury. A bookkeeper in the office, Lisa Auteri-McIntyre, has been searching court records, the Internet and reverse directories to try to pair the money with its owners.