By PAUL GIANNAMORE
For The Times Leader
STEUBENVILLE - Three area sheriffs said they're backing Ohio state Treasurer Richard Cordray in his bid to become the state's attorney general in the Nov. 4 election.
Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla, Belmont County Sheriff Fred Thompson and Harrison County Sheriff Mark Miller met with Cordray and state Sen. Jason Wilson, D-Columbiana, briefly at Abdalla's office in the county justice center Wednesday before making the announcement.
Abdalla said Cordray understands the needs of local law enforcement and that had prompted Abdalla to back Cordray in his previous run for the attorney general's position.
Abdalla said Cordray can speed up the processing of evidence in the state crime labs, vital to prosecutions in smaller counties that don't have their own crime lab.
Cordray said the processing of evidence by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, which is overseen by the attorney general, is "sometimes done slowly." Cordray said that backs up court caseloads and can infringe on defendants' rights to a speedy trial.
"Local law enforcement is doing its job and they rely on the Attorney General's Office to do its job," he said. Cordray and the sheriffs said it's not an issue of the quality of the work but the time it takes for evidence to be processed.
Cordray said the answer isn't necessarily more manpower but in making it known that a better job is expected. He said it's the same kind of effort he made as Franklin County treasurer in speeding up delinquent tax collections from seven weeks to two days by the time he left office.
He acknowledged the delays are partly to blame on bureaucracy, but indicated the work could occur quicker if it was made clear that it was one of the criteria on which workers would be judged.
"People can get discouraged when work piles up and it will pile up more if they have no incentive to get it done quickly," he said.
The state crime labs are in Bowling Green, Richfield and London. Cordray said about 80 of Ohio's 88 counties rely on the work of the labs in developing cases.
He said the labs are state-of-the-art in processing DNA, blood and other evidence vital to investigations.
"When it's done properly and well, it can be pretty much iron-clad in proving guilt or innocence," he said.
Cordray said he doesn't believe the attorney general should be the local law enforcer, but it is the office's responsibility to help local law enforcement.
Asked if he considers helping local departments operate their jails part of that responsibility, Cordray said he's been hearing complaints "from Cuyahoga County to Hamilton County" about being able to build and operate jails, especially as other costs, including fuel to keep patrols on the road, rise, without extra resources.
"I will go to the Legislature and stand with them and make the case for local law enforcement to have the resources to do its job," he said.
Miller and Thompson agreed with Abdalla's comments that Cordray would be an excellent attorney general. Cordray said he considers his work as an incoming attorney general similar to what he faced in coming into the treasurer's office.
When Cordray became treasurer in 2006, he came into an office rocked by various management scandals, including a questionable investment of state funds in rare coins.
The next attorney general will fill the unexpired term of former Attorney General Marc Dann, who resigned in May after a sexual harassment scandal in his office. The next election for attorney general will take place in 2010.
Cordray said as was the case when he became treasurer, a priority will be "restoring public trust to the office."
Cordray is opposed Nov. 4 by Republican D. Michael Crites, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and independent candidate Robert M. Owens, a private practice attorney and former assistant county prosecutor from Delaware.
