There still isn’t much forward motion in the corruption cases involving former Scioto County Economic Development Director Robert Horton and suspended Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis.
Both cases continue to move slowly through the courts, with only a handful of procedural updates in recent weeks.
Supplemental Discovery Filed
On March 2, the State of Ohio’s special prosecutor filed a supplemental discovery response in the Horton case. The filing indicates prosecutors have turned over additional materials to the defense as part of the pre-trial process.
According to the filing, the state confirmed:
- Any statements made by the defendants have already been provided to the defense.
- Prosecutors are not aware of any prior convictions for Horton that would be admissible under evidence rules.
- All photographs, documents, records, and other tangible evidence the state intends to use have been shared or made available for inspection.
- Any scientific tests, examinations, or experiments connected to the case have been provided.
- All materials required under Brady v. Maryland, which requires prosecutors to disclose evidence favorable to the defense, have been turned over.
- Reports prepared by law enforcement agencies, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol and federal investigators, have been provided.
- Statements from witnesses expected to testify for the state have also been shared.
The filing essentially signals that prosecutors believe the bulk of their evidence has now been disclosed to defense attorneys.
Court Dates Continue to Shift
During a March 3 court conference, the court scheduled a pre-trial conference for March 31.
However, court records show that on March 4, another pre-trial criminal hearing was also scheduled for that same date.
Meanwhile, Horton and his wife Lioubov Horton are still expected to participate in a status conference scheduled for May 6 in Scioto County Common Pleas Court.
Like several previous status conferences in the case, that hearing is expected to take place by phone.
Davis Still on Paid Leave
Commissioner Bryan Davis remains on paid leave from the Scioto County Board of Commissioners while the criminal case proceeds.
Davis has also missed the filing deadline to run for re-election to his commissioner seat this year.
If Davis were ultimately acquitted or the charges dismissed, he could legally return to his position as commissioner to complete the remainder of his current term. However, because he did not file for the upcoming election, the only way he could run again for the office would be as a write-in candidate.
Economic Development Still in Limbo
The legal cases continue to cast a long shadow over Scioto County’s economic development structure.
The county still does not have a permanent economic development director, though an ad for someone to lead the Scioto County Development Corporation, a non-profit economic development group, was posted today on the Commissioner’s Facebook page.
That uncertainty has placed county commissioners directly in the middle of negotiations on major development projects — including the proposed Google data center campus.
Those negotiations have already sparked controversy and even a lawsuit alleging commissioners violated Ohio’s Open Meetings Act during discussions related to the project.
For now, however, the corruption cases themselves remain largely in a holding pattern as attorneys continue working through pre-trial procedures.
Scioto County Daily News will continue to follow both cases and report on any major developments as they occur.