Sandusky attorney suspended for 1 year

SANDUSKY — The state's highest court issued a one-year suspension for a Sandusky attorney for his conduct during a 2016 trial. K. Ronald Bailey was given a one-year suspension, with six months stayed on the condition of no further misconduct, by the Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday, according to a written opinion issued by the court. Bailey's son, Kenneth Bailey, who's also an attorney and K. Ronald's legal associate, was also issued a public reprimand. The punishment stems from conduct during the August 2016 trial in Erie County's Court of Common Pleas for former pastor Richard Mick, who was accused of child rape. During the trial, K. Ronald Bailey told the trial judge, Roger Binette, that he would not participate in the proceedings. K. Ronald Bailey argued some of Binette's decisions were prejudicial to Mick, which he said was the reason for his non-participation. The trial went on, and Mick was sentenced to life in prison and K. Ronald Bailey was held in contempt. K. Ronald eventually served a 30-day jail sentence. Kenneth Bailey's reprimand comes from a post he made online criticizing Binette. He later sent an email to the judge apologizing for the post, according to the Supreme Court opinion. Five state Supreme Court justices — Sharon Kennedy, Judith French, R. Patrick DeWine, Michael Donnelly and Melody Steward — concurred in the decision in the suspension decision. Two others — Justice Patrick Fisher and Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor — partially dissented. They were seeking a harsher two-year suspension with one year conditionally stayed for K. Ronald Bailey. Mick was released from prison on appeal and given a second trial — in which he was represented by Bailey's law firm, the Bailey Legal Group — but that ended in a mistrial after Mick's attorneys learned the prosecution had not given them a police report in the pre-trial discovery process. A third trial for Mick, under a new visiting judge, is scheduled to occur in August.