Matthew Richmond

2 weeks ago | ideastream.org | Matthew Richmond

After weeks of delays, the prosecution and defense presented opening statements Tuesday in the corruption trial of East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King and former city council member Ernest Smith. Prosecutors say King used his office to receive improper benefits for himself via businesses owned by his family. The defense argues King is the victim of a politically motivated effort to smear his reputation and force him from office.

1 month ago | ideastream.org | Matthew Richmond

A 39-year-old detainee at the Cuyahoga County jail died this week due to an undisclosed medical emergency, according to an announcement from the county. Tasha Grant died at MetroHealth Hospital on Monday, according to the county medical examiner’s office. The office did not release a cause of death. Grant was in jail awaiting trial on two cases: an assault from the Southwest General Hospital Police Department on Sept. 3, 2024 and a vandalism case from the Garfield Heights Police Department on Sept.

1 month ago | ideastream.org | Matthew Richmond

Following an emotional hearing in a Downtown Cleveland court, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office dropped all charges from a 2019 East Cleveland murder conviction. In a hearing in Cuyahoga Common Pleas Court Tuesday, a witness recanted her testimony that led to the conviction of Jerry Sims and called into question the credibility of the then-lead detective on the case, Kenneth Lundy, who is now East Cleveland's Police Chief.

1 month ago | ideastream.org | Matthew Richmond

Two Cleveland Police officers are facing potential suspensions for improperly firing their weapons at the car of a woman fleeing another shooting a block away in the city’s Glenville neighborhood last March. That woman, Antwoina Carter, 26, of Cleveland, was killed. The two patrol officers, Dylan O’Donnell and Amanda Rock, are facing administrative charges through the police department's disciplinary system, according to documents obtained by Ideastream Public Media.

1 month ago | ideastream.org | Matthew Richmond

The Cleveland Community Police Commission approved a policy controlling drone usage by the Cleveland Division of Police, maintaining a controversial restriction despite pushback from city officials. The commission consulted with legal experts, defense attorneys, Cleveland police officials and looked at policies controlling drone usage in other cities, especially in Oakland, California, said Commissioner Piet van Lier.