Locals to have mass records request at municipal court

PORT CLINTON – Local activist Tracy Thom is asking area residents to enter Ottawa County Municipal Court on March 18 and request public records on behalf of Elsebeth Baumgartner.

Thom planned the event, which is during Sunshine Law Week in Ohio, to show people how easy it is to receive public records.

Thom said she and other area residents want to stand up and help Baumgartner, who said she was barred by Judge Frederick Hany from requesting any records from municipal court and was told not to call, fax or email the court.

“It was an administrative order that came out of the blue,” Baumgartner said about the December 2013 ban. “There was no legal basis.”

Baumgartner, a disbarred attorney from Oak Harbor, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2006 for intimidating her former associate and a Cleveland-area judge. She was released from prison in 2013.

She said Hany, or the court, did not give her any reason why they decided to ban her. Hany did not return multiple calls.

“I’m extraordinarily grateful. I don’t know her (Thom),” said Baumgartner. “She chose to get involved and came up with the idea.”

The idea of getting records is just that. She said there is no motive or specific records to request.

“I don’t care what (records) they get,” Thom said. “In Ohio, public records are the peoples’ records. That’s not often the case in Ottawa County.”

During the request, Thom said she was hoping to get state representatives, county commissioners and other public figures to come and speak during the regular court hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We rented out the conference room at Common Grounds. I just want to educate the public,” Thom said.

Thom said requests may be placed in advance to avoid a mandatory waiting period.

cshoup@gannett.com

419-734-7504

Twitter: CraigShoupNH