photo by: Joselyn King

Ohio County Sheriff Nelson Croft, left, has a discussion with county commissioners Don Nickerson and Randy Wharton prior to Tuesday night’s commission meeting.

A trial is set to take place in Ohio County next week, but county officials and the courts aren’t sure yet where it is to take place.

Melissa Marco, project director for Ohio County, informed county commissioners Tuesday of a unique situation she and the courts are trying to work out. Circuit Judge Jason Cuomo has scheduled a trial for next week in Ohio County, and is in need of one of the larger courtrooms at the City-County Building for the proceedings, scheduled to take place June 9-13.

The building’s courtrooms, however, are not going to be available.

The courtrooms used by Judge David Sims on the fourth floor and Judge Michael Olejasz on the fifth floor are totally booked, according to Marco.

A third courtroom on the second floor is under renovation and won’t be available until June 30. And the municipal courtroom on the first floor is not big enough to accommodate a full-fledged trial, according to Marco.

Officials at the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals had determined the trial could take place in the courtroom at West Virginia Independence Hall, but because of the building’s status as a museum, work to accommodate needed technology would not be permitted, according to Marco.

Officials at the Federal Building in downtown Wheeling have now been contacted about holding the trial there.

Another option would be to move the trial to Brooke County, she continued. Jurors would need to be reimbursed for driving to Wellsburg, and that is a cost that would have to be picked up and approved by the state Supreme Court.

“So that decision lies in their hands,” Marco said. “We will know tomorrow morning whether we have secured the Federal Building for the trial. If we do, the Supreme Court (workers) won’t have to make a trip up here to set up the technical stuff at Independence Hall, and we will just hold the trial at the Federal Building.”

Marco noted the second floor courtroom presently under construction “is usable,” but at present is without a ceiling.

“It is not conducive to hold a trial there for a week,” she said.

Marco also reported to commissioners some good news. While Tuesday’s commission meeting took place in Olejasz’ courtroom on the fifth floor of the building, work on the commission office on the second floor should be completed next week after carpeting is installed.

This will permit the next meeting of the commissioners – slated for 6 p.m. on June 17 – to take place in commission chambers.