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Trumbull County commissioners approve $51,000 settlement to end open-records lawsuit
Summary
The Board of Trumbull County Commissioners approved a $51,000 payment to settle litigation alleging Open Meetings Act and records violations, ending a multi‑year dispute involving a former commissioner and an open-government advocate.
The Board of Trumbull County Commissioners voted to authorize a $51,000 payment to settle litigation brought by an open‑government advocate that alleged violations of Ohio’s Open Meetings Act and improper deletion of text messages by former officials.
The motion approved authorized Bricker & Graydon attorney Brody Conover to execute an agreed entry and directed payment of $51,000 from county fund 00112010001000-1506810. County officials said $49,500 of the payment would cover attorneys’ fees for David Beatrice and Matthew Miller Novak, and $1,500 would be split between Michelle Nicole Frenchko and Open Government Advocacy, the parties who brought the suit.
Why it matters: Commissioners said settling would stop additional legal costs and allow the board to move on from prolonged litigation that began after disputes in 2021–22. Commissioners described the litigation as draining public resources and said further trial risk could have raised costs substantially.
At the meeting, Commissioner Denny Malloy read a statement explaining the settlement, saying, “The Trumbull County Commissioners settled the lawsuits so the county can finally move on from the fiasco and continue to serve and advocate for the people of Trumbull County.” The statement identified the named defendants in the suit and said the settlement resolved claims against the county’s elected officials and two statutory commissions.
Commissioners discussed court advice that continuing the case could increase legal fees and risk unfavorable rulings. One commissioner referenced a judge’s recommendation that settling would halt accumulating attorney fees; another said the material allegations arose before the current board took office. The board voted unanimously to approve the payment and to authorize the attorney to execute the agreed entry.
The meeting record shows the settlement motion was raised from the floor and seconded; the roll call recorded Commissioner Malloy, Commissioner Tony Bernard and Commissioner Rick Hernandez voting yes.
The board said the settlement should end the county’s exposure in this matter and allow officials to focus on governance and county operations going forward.
