An Ohio courtroom erupted in chaos Monday after a former juvenile court judge was sentenced to six months in jail for illegally using her position to help her brother keep his county job.
WLWT reported that a supporter of Hamilton County Court Judge Tracie Hunter was spotted rushing the defense table after Judge Patrick Dinkelacker handed down the jail sentence. Others were heard shouting in protest as a bailiff dragged a silent Hunter out of court.
“She’s passed out,” someone yelled, referring to Hunter.
“This city is going to burn,” someone else shouted.
Authorities confirmed to WEWS that one person was arrested during Monday’s sentencing hearing.
Hunter was convicted in 2014 of having an unlawful interest in a public contract and was sentenced this week after exhausting her appeals. NBC News reported that the ex-judge’s brother, youth corrections officer Stephen Hunter, was accused of striking a juvenile offender while on the job in July 2013.
The alleged incident led the officer’s superior to recommend his firing. Prosecutors said Tracie Hunter then illegally requested and obtained documents about the victim, which she turned over to her brother.
The disgraced juvenile judge has maintained her innocence throughout the five-year saga. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley penned a letter asking the court not to impose a jail sentence as he felt Tracie Hunter has suffered professionally and hadn’t committed a violent crime, according to WEWS.
Hunter is being housed at the Hamilton County Justice Center’s medical center, which WLWT speculated stemmed from severe injuries she suffered in a car wreck 30 years earlier. Jail officials said they’re exploring whether she’ll be eligible to participate in any work release programs.
[Featured image: WLWT video screengrab]
