Judge McCune appointed to prison board seat
The game of musical chairs in Butler County’s court system continues this week, with Judge Timothy McCune replacing Judge William Shaffer on the county’s prison board.
The board oversees Butler County Prison and is comprised of the county commissioners, district attorney, county controller, county sheriff and, now, McCune.
Shaffer had held the position for the last decade. But with his new role as the acting administrator of the county’s Common Pleas Court system taking up a portion of his time, he selected McCune to replace him on the board.
“It’s definitely an important role. County prisons are busy places” McCune said, noting that, along with making sure the jail runs smoothly, the board’s all-important task is to ensure they “provide constitutional rights of the inmates.”
McCune may have just been appointed to the board, but the position is not a new one for him. He was Butler’s district attorney before becoming a judge and between 1996 and 2005 he served on the prison board. During the end of his tenure he aided in the planning and creation of the current jail in downtown Butler.
McCune’s new task is just one among many in a year that has been punctuated by change, for both him and the system. Earlier this month Shaffer assigned McCune to criminal court while McCune retained the family and juvenile side of the court along with Veterans Court, which focuses on veterans facing criminal action.
“I’m willing to take over those duties to free up (Shaffer) for his other responsibilities,” McCune said. “We’re working hard in here for the people.”
Aside from the county’s government code requiring a judge to serve on the board, county Commissioner Kim Geyer said that having a judge provides important insight for the prison board.
“It’s extremely helpful. They have knowledge of the law and they know how people’s lives are impacted,” Geyer said. “Common knowledge to them is unique to us.”
She continued, “Judge McCune has a lot of experience and with Judge Shaffer as the administrator now, they’re trying to be as efficient as possible.”
Warden Joe DeMore lamented the loss of Shaffer, who, he said, is “a great asset. Very thoughtful. I’m sad to see him go but I’m looking forward to working with McCune.”
Shaffer became the administrator of the Common Pleas Court after Judge Marilyn Horan’s recent appointment to the federal bench. The state’s Supreme Court selected Horan for administrative position last year when President Judge Thomas Doerr stepped down from the role after county probation officer Crystal Starnes sued him, claiming sexual misconduct and workplace discrimination.
