BORDERLAND

Appeals court: Telb must pay attorney fees

2/1/2014

Former Lucas County Sheriff James Telb must pay his own legal expenses for his 2010 criminal trial in federal court, an appeals court has affirmed.

Ohio’s 6th District Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a March 22 ruling by Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gene Zmuda denying Mr. Telb’s request that Lucas County reimburse him for some $200,000 in attorney fees he incurred defending himself on charges related to the 2004 death of an inmate at the county jail.

Rick Kerger, attorney for Mr. Telb, said he plans to appeal the latest ruling to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Mr. Telb, who was sheriff from 1985 to 2012, was acquitted in December, 2010, of charges he covered up an inmate’s death and lied to federal investigators about it.