COLUMBUS, Ohio — Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz took the stand in Probate and Juvenile Judge Timothy Grendell's disciplinary hearing before the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct Wednesday, according to the board's director, Rick Dove.
Grendell faces three charges, including one related to sending two teenage brothers to juvenile detention for three nights during the pandemic for refusing parenting time with their estranged father.
Close to two weeks after the boys were released, Grendell's constable, John Ralph, filed complaints against the brothers, alleging they violated Ohio's unruly child statute.
In a memo obtained by News 5 Investigator Sarah Buduson, a prosecutor from Flaiz's office found the charges were inappropriate.
In June 2020, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Natalie Harper sent the memo to the Geauga Co. Sheriff's Department stating, "There is no evidence supporting Unruly charges against either of the juveniles."
Harper also wrote, "Please be advised that Unruly charges are not a remedy for allegedly failing to comply with a court order issued in a private custody matter."
The boy's mother, Stacy Hartman, testified earlier this week. She had repeatedly stated her eldest son, Carson, was never the same after he was incarcerated.
Carson died in a motorcycle accident in Pittsburgh last May.
During an interview in 2020, his younger brother, Conner, then 13, described what it felt like to be locked up inside the Portage-Geauga County Juvenile Detention Center.
“I felt terrified,” said Conner. “I was treated like an animal. I was put in a cage, basically.”
Watch our original investigation from 2020 below:
READ MORE: Two teen brothers refused to see their dad. An Ohio judge locked them up during a pandemic
Additional charges
Grendell faces two other charges as a result of an investigation by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
The second charge relates to an ongoing dispute between Grendell and Geauga County Auditor Charles Walder over how the court's bills were paid.
The third charge relates to Grendell's testimony at the state legislature in favor of his wife's "Truth in COVID Statistics" bill. Diane Grendell retired as a state legislature in 2022.
Hearing extended
Grendell's hearing will extend into April, according to Dove.
The hearing was initially scheduled to wrap up Thursday.
A notice about the additional dates in March and April is expected to be added to the board's docket Wednesday afternoon.
Watch our report from last month previewing the disciplinary hearing:
RELATED: Geauga County probate and juvenile judge faces disciplinary charges after News 5 Investigation
