July 16, 2015, 11:52 a.m. — The preliminary hearing of Michael Skidmore, Mansfield, has been moved to Thursday, 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.
Updated by Staff Reporter Brittany Schock
MANSFIELD, Ohio – July 15, 2015, 3 p.m. — A representative of the Mansfield Municpal Court Clerk’s office confirmed that a receipt for bond was posted Tuesday, July 14 and that Michael Skidmore was no longer listed as a resident of the jail. She also confirmed that Skidmore is under electronic monitoring.
A pre-trial meeting between the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office and defense attorneys was held in the Skidmore case Tuesday morning.
The meeting was held in the waiting area of the Richland County Jail to allow discussion of the case between defense attorneys Jaceda Blazef and Anica Blazef-Horner and Richland County Assistant Prosecutor Cliff Murphy.
No comment on the case was made to media present.
Skidmore was charged with felonious assault after an incident at the Richland County Commissioner’s office on July 9 in which Skidmore allegedly assaulted two security officers.
A plea of not guilty was entered and bond was set at $100,000 during an arraignment held July 10.
According to Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon’s statement during a press conference on July 9, Skidmore attempted to photograph Richland County Clerk Stacy Crall’s name badge during a meeting of the Richland County Commissioners.
In the attempt to photograph her badge, Skidmore touched Crall on the shoulder. A commissioner commented that the touch was inappropriate and asked the human resources director to notify security.
Two county building security officers responded and were subsequently assaulted while trying to restrain Skidmore, said a statement from the sheriff’s office released July 9.
“I believe one of the security officers, Tim Norris, was struck in the head multiple times with a fist,” said Sheldon during the July 9 press conference. Another security officer, Chuck Kochis, was bitten on the cheek during the struggle. Both officers were treated and released from OhioHealth MedCentral.
A bullet was fired by one of the responding security officers, which went into a wall and did not injure anyone. A Richland County Sheriff’s Office press release issued July 10 confirmed the discharge was intentional.
