Allen County commissioners OK lease for new public defenders office
LIMA The Allen County commissioners approved a five-year lease agreement Thursday for a home for the new Allen County Public Defenders Office at 417 N. West St., Lima.
“We’re pretty happy to be at this place to finalize a lease with the Public Defenders Office,” Commissioner Beth Seibert said.
The commissioners finalized the purchase of the property in October. The office is currently located within the Lima Municipal Court building.
Commissioner Cory Noonan noted construction has been underway at the location. In December, Kenneth Sturgill was selected as the county’s first full-time public defender. The public defender provides legal representation for criminal defendants who can’t afford an attorney.
After much discussion and planning, Allen County now has a dedicated Public Defenderâs Office.
Today(12/21/20), former Allen County Assistant Prosecutor Kenneth Sturgill started as Allen County Public Defender. He spent 8 years at the prosecutorâs office and was eager to apply for the position. His first order of business is to hire a Chief Assistant to help get the office up and running. He feels his experience in the courtroom has prepared him to create a more efficient system with a full-time public defenderâs office.
Allen County Public Defender Kenneth Sturgill goes on to add, âAnd I think weâll do that by implementing the use of technology in the courtroom more so than it has been. As well as being purely local and only assigned to these cases weâll be able to speak to clients more often, more regularly keep them informed about the proceedings, and better advise them. Secondly, by doing so, I think cases will move along more quickly and will be a
Sturgill is Allen Ccounty’s new public defender
By J Swygart - jswygart@limanews.com
Kenneth Sturgill, an eight-year veteran of the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, was announced Monday as the first full-time Allen County Public Defender. Allen County Commissioners earlier this year authorized the funds to start the full-time position in an effort to provide a cost-efficient method of providing legal representation to indigent criminal defendants.
J Swygart | The Lima News
Kenneth Sturgill, an eight-year veteran of the Allen County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, was announced Monday as the first full-time Allen County Public Defender. Allen County Commissioners earlier this year authorized the funds to start the full-time position in an effort to provide a cost-efficient method of providing legal representation to indigent criminal defendants.
Admitted pedophile sentenced to 21 years behind bars
By J Swygart - jswygart@limanews.com
Michael Porter pleaded for leniency during his sentencing hearing Wednesday in Allen County Common Pleas Court. Porter, who pleaded no contest in October to 10 counts of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor and 10 counts of the illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
J Swygart | The Lima News
LIMA A man who has served 17 years of a 20-year prison sentence for taking nude images of young girls and for various sexual assaults only to be found in his prison cell in possession of a smuggled cell phone with what prosecutors said were “thousands of images of young girls being forced to do sexual things with adult males” is headed back to prison for 21 more years.