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Open letter to Clark County and Springfield prosecutors: Why still no action against Trump and Vance?

Friday, October 4, 2024

An open letter to Clark County and Springfield prosecutors asks about the prosecutors' commitment to holding Trump and Vance accountable—and why they haven't yet acted.

Springfield, OH – Today, counsel for the Haitian Bridge Alliance and its executive director Guerline Jozef sent an open letter to both the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney and Springfield Prosecuting Attorney asking two fundamental questions:

What are those prosecutors' level of willingness and fortitude to prosecute Donald J. Trump and JD Vance for the harm they have inflicted on Springfield?

and

Why have the prosecutors (and chief of police) still not acted to hold Trump and Vance accountable despite having the ability to do so?

The letter also questions whether the prosecutors should recuse themselves if they are unwilling to act.

The complete letter can be found here.

Subodh Chandra, lead counsel, said in the letter:

[Y]our own residents are suffering. They didn’t ask for this to happen. If there is to be any rule of law or equal justice under law, act you must. If any other individual had targeted any Ohio community as relentlessly and persistently with false alarms, inducing panic, and disrupting public services in the way Trump and Vance have, they would have already been held accountable to criminal law. As our amended bench memo shows, Ohio courts have routinely rejected the First Amendment excuses of those who have caused less chaos than Trump and Vance have.

The letter follows amended criminal charges under Ohio and Springfield law filed, under an Ohio statute authorizing private-citizen-initiated charges, by the Bridge's executive director, Guerline Jozef, and a supplement. The charges are pending judicial review for probable cause.

Trump and Vance are charged with inducing panic, making false alarms, disrupting public service, and aggravated menacing, along with complicity. The charges address Trump's and Vance's misconduct directed at Springfield, Ohio's Haitian population resulting in harm not just to that community but to Springfield as a whole. Under Ohio law, the court must issue arrest warrants upon a finding of probable cause, a low legal standard.

Open letter to Clark County and Springfield prosecutors: Why still no action against Trump and Vance?

Led by former federal prosecutor Subodh Chandra, Chandra Law is experienced obtaining justice for crime victims, including initiating charges under R.C. 2935.09. The firm also helped pioneer work in holding individuals and companies accountable for civil liability for criminal acts, securing the two leading Supreme Court of Ohio decisions favorable to crime victims on the topic.

If you think that your civil rights have been violated, you may contact us to discuss your options.

At Chandra Law, your case is our cause.®

Related Practice Areas
First AmendmentGovernment Ethics, Misconduct, Fraud, & AbuseLegal Ethics & Professional ResponsibilityPolice Misconduct & BrutalityPrivate-citizen-initiated criminal charges in Ohio
Tags
springfield-ohiospringfielddonald-trumpjd-vanceguerline-jozefhaitian-bridge-alliancer.c.-2935.10r.c.-2935.09

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