WILMINGTON — The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has finished an investigation into a Clinton County Juvenile Court bailiff and turned the case over to a special prosecutor whose job is to determine whether to press charges.
Ohio Attorney General spokesperson Jill Del Greco confirmed the state’s investigation was completed Wednesday.
“The findings are expected to be in the hands of our special prosecutor within the next few days,” Del Greco wrote. “Keep in mind that, in general, once an investigation is turned over to a prosecutor, it is always possible that the prosecutor could request additional investigation before determining the next steps in a case.”
Previously, Del Greco told the News Journal that BCI would investigate “basically to find the facts of what happened.”
Del Greco said Daniel Breyer is the special prosecutor assigned to the case from Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office’s Special Prosecutions Section.
Locally, Breyer prosecuted Cody Skaggs, who was charged with murder and eventually pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Skaggs received eight years imprisonment after the plea.
Breyer will determine whether the investigation warrants charges against Buckner.
The investigation began more than a month ago when Del Greco confirmed BCI was investigating “an alleged, physical altercation,” between the bailiff, Jim Buckner, and the juvenile defendant.
The juvenile, a 17-year-old male from the Columbus area, was the alleged driver of a stolen car with two other juvenile occupants that led Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers on a March 4 chase. The chase ended with the car crashing into a Rombach Avenue apartment building, troopers said.
Clinton County Prosecutor Rick Moyer requested the BCI investigate, and the AG’s office review, the incident.
A couple weeks after the incident, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office released security footage of the courtroom at the time. No audio was available. The video, and other reports about the incident, can be found on the News Journal’s website and Facebook page.
Since the video was released, multiple people have said Buckner was placed on leave.
Clinton County Juvenile and Probate Judge Chad Carey said he could neither deny nor confirm whether Buckner was on leave, citing the fact that the incident is being investigated.
Carey did not preside over the hearing. His magistrate, Mark J. Miars, did.
Reach Nathan Kraatz at 937-382-2574, ext. 2510 or on Twitter @NathanKraatz.
