Community Activists call for fair trial for former Cuyahoga County Democratic Party chairperson Jimmy Dimora as it begins in federal court in Akron
Jimmy Dimora 
By Kathy Wray Coleman, Editor
(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) and (www.clevelandurbannews.com)
AKRON, Ohio-The political corruption and racketeering trial of former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, the previous headstrong, hand-slapping and popular chairperson of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, begins today before Federal District Court Judge Sara Lioi in Akron. And some area community activists are questioning whether he can get a fair trial.
"Why does the same judge hear all of the cases?" asked veteran community activist Ada Adveryhart, a member of the grassroots groups dubbed the Carl Stokes Brigade and the Imperial Women Coalition. "Is it because the judge is doing what they want her to do and how did this judge give former common pleas judge Steven Terry the maximum of six years in prison and he is Black while former judge Bridget McCafferty, his counterpart, faced 50 years and got 14 months, and she is White?
Averyhart, 77, also questioned why all of the more than 50 people that were convicted or have pleaded guilty thus far to corruption related crimes in connection with a countywide political corruption probe initiated by the Cleveland FBI three years ago were either Democratic elected officials like McCafferty, Terry and Dimora, or affiliates of the Democratic Party.
"Do they expect us to believe that all of the Republicans are squeaky clean and all of the Democrats that they have targeted are corrupt?" said Averyhart. "They just want to send our Black male judges to prison."
Dimora, who has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence, says he is being railroaded by the Republicans, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which is Ohio's largest newspaper, and, of course, the federal government.
He also claims that his obesity is a factor with the prosecution and will take his chances with a jury, hoping to get a panel that can glean through what he says is partisan politics of his prosecution on more than 28 charges, including case fixing with McCafferty, other alleged bribery, racketeering, and theft in office, among other charges that could bring him more than 20 years in prison if he is convicted.
The scandal unfolded when some 250 FBI and IRS agents went on a raid rampage in 2008, targeting several people, including the chambers of McCafferty and Terry, and the homes and offices of Dimora and then Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo, at the time as popular as Dimora in the county Democratic party.
Russo has pleaded guilty to a host of corruption related charges and also faces over 20 years in prison. Out on bond until he finishes snitching on his former comrades, he helped to get McCafferty and Terry convicted with promises of a lighter sentence and expects to testify against Dimora.
But nobody knows the extent of what damage will come Dimora's way during a trial that could take at least three months, prosecutors and defense attorneys have said.
What operatives of the county Democratic party do know is that fireworks are expected to fly in a explosive trial eyed by everybody from presidential wanabes that hope to win Ohio next year to those that feel that Dimora will tell as much as he can, good and bad.
The media are gearing up too for the county's most celebrated case since the conviction and subsequent exoneration of Sam Shepherd to the convictions this summer on multiple counts of murder of Black women and a death sentence of Cleveland Serial Killer Anthony Sowell .
The Plain Dealer, and local news channels 5, 3, 8, 19 and 43, have assigned multiple reporters to the trial.
Reach Kathy Wray Coleman by email at kathy@kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, and by telephone at 216-932-3114.
By Kathy Wray Coleman, Editor
(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) and (www.clevelandurbannews.com)
AKRON, Ohio-The political corruption and racketeering trial of former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, the previous headstrong, hand-slapping and popular chairperson of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, begins today before Federal District Court Judge Sara Lioi in Akron. And some area community activists are questioning whether he can get a fair trial.
"Why does the same judge hear all of the cases?" asked veteran community activist Ada Adveryhart, a member of the grassroots groups dubbed the Carl Stokes Brigade and the Imperial Women Coalition. "Is it because the judge is doing what they want her to do and how did this judge give former common pleas judge Steven Terry the maximum of six years in prison and he is Black while former judge Bridget McCafferty, his counterpart, faced 50 years and got 14 months, and she is White?
Averyhart, 77, also questioned why all of the more than 50 people that were convicted or have pleaded guilty thus far to corruption related crimes in connection with a countywide political corruption probe initiated by the Cleveland FBI three years ago were either Democratic elected officials like McCafferty, Terry and Dimora, or affiliates of the Democratic Party.
"Do they expect us to believe that all of the Republicans are squeaky clean and all of the Democrats that they have targeted are corrupt?" said Averyhart. "They just want to send our Black male judges to prison."
Dimora, who has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence, says he is being railroaded by the Republicans, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which is Ohio's largest newspaper, and, of course, the federal government.
He also claims that his obesity is a factor with the prosecution and will take his chances with a jury, hoping to get a panel that can glean through what he says is partisan politics of his prosecution on more than 28 charges, including case fixing with McCafferty, other alleged bribery, racketeering, and theft in office, among other charges that could bring him more than 20 years in prison if he is convicted.
The scandal unfolded when some 250 FBI and IRS agents went on a raid rampage in 2008, targeting several people, including the chambers of McCafferty and Terry, and the homes and offices of Dimora and then Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo, at the time as popular as Dimora in the county Democratic party.
Russo has pleaded guilty to a host of corruption related charges and also faces over 20 years in prison. Out on bond until he finishes snitching on his former comrades, he helped to get McCafferty and Terry convicted with promises of a lighter sentence and expects to testify against Dimora.
But nobody knows the extent of what damage will come Dimora's way during a trial that could take at least three months, prosecutors and defense attorneys have said.
What operatives of the county Democratic party do know is that fireworks are expected to fly in a explosive trial eyed by everybody from presidential wanabes that hope to win Ohio next year to those that feel that Dimora will tell as much as he can, good and bad.
The media are gearing up too for the county's most celebrated case since the conviction and subsequent exoneration of Sam Shepherd to the convictions this summer on multiple counts of murder of Black women and a death sentence of Cleveland Serial Killer Anthony Sowell .
The Plain Dealer, and local news channels 5, 3, 8, 19 and 43, have assigned multiple reporters to the trial.
Reach Kathy Wray Coleman by email at kathy@kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, and by telephone at 216-932-3114.
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