MANSFIELD, Ohio – UPDATED- The preliminary hearing of local man Michael Skidmore originally scheduled for today was canceled after Skidmore’s case appeared in a special session of the Richland County Grand Jury on Wednesday.
According to the Richland County Court’s website, Skidmore’s case was presented to Judge James DeWeese and special prosecutor Margaret Tomaro of the Ohio Attorney General’s office on Wednesday.
Skidmore was indicted by the Richland County Grand Jury on two counts of felonious assault, a second-degree felony; two counts of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor; one count of inducing panic, a fourth-degree felony; and one count of obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony.
The charges stem from an incident with Skidmore at the Richland County Commissioner’s office on July 9 in which Skidmore allegedly assaulted two security officers.
A representative from the office of Mansfield Municipal Court Judge Frank Ardis Jr. stated their office was not aware of the grand jury session until after the fact on Wednesday. The Mansfield Municipal Court website’s most recent entry regarding the trial for Skidmore’s case was posted July 16 and noted that a preliminary hearing was set before Judge Frank Ardis Jr. at 1 p.m. on July 30.
Jill Del Greco, public information officer for the Ohio Attorney General’s office, explained Skidmore’s felony charges put his case on a new track from municipal court proceedings.
“In Ohio, if you are charged with a felony, your case must go before a grand jury at some point to consider these charges for an indictment, so that’s what happened in this case,” she explained. “Most often a grand jury happens before a preliminary hearing, and if there is an indictment the preliminary hearing is no longer needed.”
Del Greco said the next step for Skidmore’s case is a pretrial hearing in the Richland County Common Pleas court.
“As far as our attorneys are aware nothing has been set yet,” she said. “It could possibly go to trial, or there could be a plea agreement, there are a lot of different steps that could be taken.”
According to Major Joe Masi of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Skidmore was arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s task force on a warrant on indictment after the Grand Jury session on Wednesday. Skidmore is now being held in the Richland County Jail, and bond has been set at $100,000 cash and personal recognizance.
A plea of not guilty was entered and bond was set at $100,000 during an arraignment held July 10. Skidmore was released on bond July 14 and was under electronic monitoring until his arrest on Wednesday.
Skidmore’s initial preliminary hearing was moved from July 16 to July 30 at the request of his attorneys. According to the Mansfield Municipal Clerk of Court’s office, a continuance was filed at the request of Skidmore’s defense attorneys Jaceda Blazef of Mansfield and Paul Mancino Jr. of Cleveland.
The document states that a continuance request is made “as council is unavailable due to a previously scheduled hearing,” according to the clerk’s office.
Richland County Prosecutor Bambi Couch Page stated Thursday that she is no longer handling the Skidmore case. It has since been turned over to the Ohio attorney general. Couch Page noted special sessions of the Grand Jury do not require prior notification.
Richland Source has reached out to Skidmore’s attorneys Anica Blazef-Horner and Paul Mancino Jr. for comment.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information.
