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Monnin addresses
security measures in Municipal Court
Aslinger discusses
possible “drug court” through Juvenile & Probate
By Bob Robinson
“This is why we have enhanced security in the Municipal Court,” Judge
Julie Monnin said, flipping a “butterfly” knife that had been
confiscated from a visitor to her courtroom.
Monnin told nearly 40 people at Thursday’s monthly Agricultural Meeting
at Brethren Retirement Community that she wanted to correct information
that may have been misleading at the previous month’s meeting.
She noted an incident where now retired Juvenile & Probate Judge
Michael McClurg was attacked following a ruling he’d made, plus another
incident where a woman entered the Darke County Courthouse with a
12-inch butcher knife because she was unhappy about not getting her
government check on time.
“We don’t go after the knives farmers use in their work,” she said.
“You don’t use knives like this,” she said, brandishing the confiscated
knife.
She said her goal was to create a safe and secure environment for the
people who have to go there, noting that she is protected in her “cubby
hole” but they aren’t.
She added that visitors have to use a walk-through detector, and a wand
is used if warranted.
“All handbags are searched,” she said. “They wear gloves… you’d be
surprised at some of the things they have found.”
She also said she has hired no new people… the staff she has is doing
more with less.
Though she didn’t mention him by name, she was responding to statements
made at an earlier Ag meeting by Jesse Green, her opponent in the
upcoming November Municipal Court election.
Among other things in Green’s presentation, he had indicated that the
security issues were not necessary in Municipal Court where most people
were there for driving violations and other similar minor offenses.
"I think the people who have to go to the court should be treated in a
more civil manner," he had said.
Recently appointed Juvenile Probate Judge Jason Aslinger told the group
that his office was working with the Ohio Supreme Court to establish a
“drug” court designed to intervene with young people just getting into
drugs.
“We want to get to them before they get hooked,” he said, adding that
they were still exploring the possibility.
State Rep. Jim Buchy reported that there have been major policy changes
in Columbus and that state government has been streamlined. He said the
budget has been balanced and that all agency budgets have been cut
except one: Medicaid.
“That’s federal. We don’t have a choice,” he said. “We need to quit
lowering the bar for eligibility, but the feds won’t let us do it.”
Darke County Commissioner Diane Delaplane said things had slowed down
in the Commissioner’s Office. They are attending the various festivals
and are on Tiger Radio every month to take questions from voters.
She added that the parking lot behind the courthouse should be
completed by fair time.
Also discussed was the ongoing federal budget drama. It was noted that
the President submitted a budget. The House submitted a budget. The
Senate has not submitted a budget, nor has it acted on the House
budget. The same thing with funding for the FAA… the Senate has not
acted on the House bill to fund the FAA, so it has no funding.
(Editor’s note: Breaking
news at 3:45 p.m. Thursday from Politico… Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid announced a deal had been brokered between House and Senate
leaders to temporarily resolve the FAA funding differences.)
The official unemployment for Darke County in June was 9.4 percent; 8.8
percent in Ohio and 9.2 percent in the United States.
Unofficial unemployment is 16.2 percent. The official number is
determined by a survey and the following guidelines: If a person has
worked just one day during the previous week, he or she is considered
employed. If a person is no longer looking for a job, he or she is no
longer considered unemployed.
Jobs are available, workers are needed, but they are in skilled areas.
Training programs are available for many of these areas, plus at the
community college level.
For skilled workers, employers only look at two things: Show up for
work every day and pass a drug test.
“Don’t pass the drug test? No job.”
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