Judge dismisses charge against official

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The litter official's house is in 'satisfactory condition,' a county deputy says.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

CITY HALL REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — A judge dismissed a litter charge filed against the city's litter control coordinator after the man cleaned his property.

George A. Finnerty III, who's held the city litter job since 1985, agreed there was "probable cause" for the misdemeanor charge to be filed as part of an agreement to dismiss the matter Thursday in front of Judge Robert Milich of Youngstown Municipal Court.

A person cited for litter in the city's housing court typically has the charge dismissed if the problem is properly addressed, said Anthony Farris, the deputy city law director who handles housing court issues.

"Sometimes it can be unsatisfactory to people that there's no punishment, but if we get the property improved it helps the neighborhood and that's the idea behind this," he said.

The Mahoning County Sheriff Department's litter control enforcement division cited Finnerty because of cardboard boxes, bricks, broken furniture, tires and trash on the porch and in the driveway and a back shed of his Howard Street home on the city's South Side. There was also a problem with weeds, and his lawn needed to be mowed, Deputy William Walker of the sheriff's department had said.

The charge stemmed from a complaint one of Finnerty's neighbors, Walker said.

Progress

Last month, Finnerty said he'd done about 90 percent of the work, but Walker said it was closer to 50 percent. At that court appearance, Finnerty was told he needed to do further work for the charge to be dropped.

On Thursday, Walker said Finnerty's property was in "satisfactory condition."

Finnerty's brother, Greg, an attorney in Columbus, represented him in court Thursday.

"The defendant doesn't have reason to come back to the court on these grounds ever again," his brother told the judge.

After the dismissal, Greg Finnerty said the matter was brought to "an appropriate resolution."

skolnick@vindy.com

Thursday, September 21, 2006