Former judge dragged from courtroom after 6-month jail sentence

CINCINNATI — Supporters of former Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter expressed outrage Monday when Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker sent her to jail to begin serving a sentence of six months.

One of Hunter’s supporters was taken into custody after she seemed to charge toward Hunter’s defense. Then Hunter fell limp in the arms of a deputy, who dragged her away from the raucous courtroom gallery.

But there was more to the hearing than shouts of anger and outrage.

“What she wants is to control the facts. What she wants to do is write the law,” said Scott Croswell, a special prosecutor during Hunter’s trial in 2014.

Speaking on behalf of the state of Ohio during Monday’s hearing, Croswell helped convince a jury to find Hunter guilty of helping her brother keep his job with Hamilton County. Hunter was convicted of having an unlawful interest in a public contract, a fourth degree felony.

Croswell said she deserves to spend six months in jail, which was the sentence retired judge Norbert Nadel imposed on Hunter.

“What she wants to do is play by her own set of rules,” Croswell said. “That’s the very attitude and the very conduct that put her in the predicament that she’s in and, frankly, has caused all this pain to her and caused all this turmoil to the community.”

Attorney David Singleton spoke on Hunter’s behalf.

“She’s lost everything almost,” Singleton said. “She lost her job as a judge, her law license, her ability to earn an income. She’s lost peace of mind.”

Singleton said Hunter believes she was wrongly convicted. He asked Dinkelacker to delay her sentencing, at the very least, since he plans to file a motion to dismiss the case against Hunter.

“Please don’t add to Tracie Hunter’s burden, the burden she’s carried for these past five years,” Singleton said.

Dinkelacker was unmoved, agreeing with Croswell and Nadel by sending Hunter to jail.

For her part, Hunter declined to speak when Dinkelacker asked her if she wanted to say anything. Then, near the end of the hearing, Hunter tried to speak out, but Dinkelacker denied her the chance.

“I gave her an opportunity to speak, and that was turned down. It’s not being offered now,” Dinkelacker said.

“So you’re denying my right as a defendant to address the court?” Hunter said.

“Ma’am, please have a seat,” Dinkelacker said.

“I just want to make sure,” Hunter said. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Dinkelacker said.

In another unusual turn of events, Dinkelacker read aloud several anonymous postcards he said he’s received at his home, urging him to keep Hunter out of jail. The postcards suggest Dinkelacker could face a backlash at the ballot box when he runs to remain on the bench next year.

Meanwhile, Hunter is now at the Hamilton County Justice Center, where she’s being housed in the jail’s medical facility, likely because of the effects of a car crash that left her with severe injuries three decades ago.

Jail officials said Hunter will be evaluated to see if she can take part in early release programs.