While former Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis has pleaded guilty and is now waiting to learn his sentence, the corruption case against former Scioto County Economic Development Director Robert Horton and his wife continues to move much more slowly.
We finally know the outcome of the July 28 status conference in the Horton case.
According to information subsequently posted to the Scioto County Common Pleas Court docket, another status conference has been scheduled for September 16. Attorneys in the case will be permitted to participate by calling the judge’s chambers.
There is still no new trial date listed.
Originally Set for Trial More Than a Year Ago
Horton was originally indicted in February 2025 as part of the public corruption investigation that rocked Scioto County government and its economic development operations.
A trial was initially scheduled for July 2025.
However, Horton’s defense filed a motion for a continuance in April 2025, and the trial did not go forward as originally scheduled.
Since then, the case has largely consisted of a series of status conferences without a new trial date being set.
Horton and his wife have waived their right to a speedy trial, giving the case considerably more time to work its way through the court system.
Davis Case Has Taken a Very Different Turn
Meanwhile, the case against Horton’s alleged co-conspirator, former Commissioner Bryan Davis, has taken a dramatic turn.
Davis pleaded guilty in July to three felony charges: Theft in Office, Receiving Stolen Property and Filing an Incomplete, False or Fraudulent Return.
In August, the court formally found Davis guilty and ordered a pre-sentence investigation before determining his punishment.
Davis has also resigned from his position as Scioto County Commissioner.
His wife, Lori Davis, pleaded guilty to Tampering with Evidence and is also awaiting sentencing following a pre-sentence investigation.
Horton Case Still Hanging Over the Scandal
Horton formerly served as both Scioto County’s economic development director and head of the Southern Ohio Port Authority, putting him at the center of the county’s economic development efforts before his indictment.
The fallout from the corruption investigation went well beyond the courtroom.
For a period, Scioto County was left without an economic development director while questions also surrounded the future role of the Southern Ohio Port Authority. County leaders have since moved economic development efforts to the nonprofit Scioto County Development Corporation and hired Tiffany Lemaster as its economic development director.
That rebuilding has happened at the same time the region has experienced an extraordinary surge in economic development, including Google’s Project Dazzler data center under construction in Franklin Furnace and the massive PORTS-Pike technology development taking shape in neighboring Pike County.
But while Scioto County’s economic development operation has moved on, the criminal case against its former economic development director has not.
For now, the next date to watch is September 16, when attorneys are scheduled for another status conference with the court.
Whether that conference finally results in a new trial date remains to be seen.
