Fight over courtroom photo referred to state attorney general
A dispute involving two judge candidates over a photo taken in the Butler County Courthouse was referred to the state attorney general's office.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger confirmed Tuesday that his office had received a complaint from Nicole Thurner about a photograph taken of her in a courtroom during a court proceeding. Taking a photo in a courtroom constitutes a second-degree misdemeanor under a new state law that took effect at the end of December, with repeat offenses carrying a first-degree misdemeanor charge.
Goldinger said law enforcement had used courthouse security footage to confirm that the driver employed by Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale had taken the photograph. He did not have the man's name to release.
Goldinger said he forwarded information about the complaint to the attorney general's office. He believed handling it locally in his office could have been perceived as a conflict of interest and wanted to avoid such a scenario.
As of Tuesday evening, he had not heard back whether the attorney general would handle the situation.
“I can't imagine that they wouldn't take the case,” Goldinger said.
Read the rest of this story in Wednesday's print edition of the Butler Eagle.
