Prosecutors have a second chance to make their case before the same district judge who threw out multiple charges over the summer against several suspects in a drug ring known as the “Youngstown Crew.”

Nine suspects were arrested by state police vice officers with the help of county narcotics detectives. By the time the cases made their way through preliminary hearings, District Judge William Fullerton dismissed several charges against the majority of the suspects, and the case against Angel S. Thompson, 25, of Boardman, Ohio, was dropped altogether.

In response, Assistant District Attorney Robert Zanella asked Judge William Shaffer to send the cases back and reassign them to a different district judge.

Shaffer denied Zanella's request following a hearing on the matter. Zanella now has a second chance to make his case before Fullerton. During the earlier hearing with Shaffer, Zanella suggested his case is now strengthened by cellular data seized from some of the suspects through search warrants.

Out of nine defendants, charges against one suspect were completely dropped and Zanella isn't seeking to re-file charges against that person. The suspects were all arrested during two drug raids executed within 30 minutes of each other at two Butler apartments.

During the raids, police seized nearly $7,000, according to investigators, in addition to more than 11 grams of suspected crack, at least 3 grams of heroin, drug-packaging materials and other contraband and cellphones.

All of the defendants were initially charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and conspiracy to commit each of those crimes.

Additionally, they were charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia and conspiracy to commit each of those crimes.

During the original preliminary hearings in August, five defendants had several charges against them dropped by Fullerton. At the time, Fullerton declined to say why he dismissed the charges.

The other three defendants had their cases held over intact for Common Pleas Court.

Zanella will present evidence before Fullerton in the cases against four of the five defendants. He argued in front of Shaffer that Fullerton “made an error of law” by not allowing all charges in the cases to be held for higher court.

Zanella is asking that the following four defendants be returned to a district judge to again go through the preliminary process: Darrell G. Strowder Jr., 33, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who remains in jail in lieu of $100,000 bail; Terrell M. McDowell, 38, of Youngstown, Ohio, who is out on a $100,000 bond; Bryant L. Battle, 49, of Youngstown, who remains in Butler County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail; and Becky J. Zebley, 34, of Ellwood City, who remains in jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

In one case, Zanella is not seeking a reinstatement of the dropped charges. The case against Katie M. Defonde, 33, of Butler, who remains in jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, will move forward on the remaining charges.