Court News

LISBON — A Washingtonville man found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2024 for felonious assault and other charges will be evaluated again to see if conditional release remains appropriate.

Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton recently ordered the evaluation by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio, with a review hearing still set for June 22.

David Kirby, 34, West Main Street, appeared in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court last year for a review hearing regarding the conditional release, with Bickerton noting he was still a mentally ill person.

At that time, she found that the least restrictive commitment alternative available consistent with the welfare of the aquittee and public safety remained conditional release to the community with continued mental health treatment.

Kirby had been accused of attacking a sheriff’s deputy on a call in Salem Township and then a corrections officer at the Columbiana County Jail after his arrest in 2024. He was charged with felonious assault, a first-degree felony, fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest for allegedly striking the deputy in the face multiple times and attempting to cause physical harm by means of a metal ink pen after being caught trespassing near a pond March 12, 2024 on a Salem Township property. While being taken to the ground, he allegedly continued to throw punches at the deputy and resisted by pulling out the taser barbs after being tased.

He was also charged with assault, a fifth-degree felony, for the incident on March 13, 2024 against a corrections officer at the county jail.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— The secret indictment just served on David J. Brown, 46, Cleveland, for nonsupport of dependents was dismissed at the request of the prosecution. A motion filed by the prosecution said additional information was received that requires investigation before proceeding to charges. Brown had been accused of allegedly failing to pay child support from Feb. 11, 2024 to Feb. 8, 2026.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Three drug defendants were served Wednesday with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury, including:

— Patrick A. Doss, 41, state Route 14, Columbiana, aggravated possession of drugs. a fifth-degree felony, and aggravated trafficking in drugs, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing and preparing for sale tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) on Sept. 24, 2025.

— Devon H. Jones, 33, Cleveland, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for alleged possessing fentanyl and cocaine on June 27, 2025.

— Travis R. McKinnon, 48, Fairview, East Liverpool, possession of fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing fentanyl on Sept. 10, 2023.

— Nicholas L. Wolfe, 46, Eastlake Road, Lisbon, was served Thursday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on June 16, 2024.

Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Karyn Dawn Locke, North Street, East Liverpool; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Canton Street, East Liverpool property.

Melissa L. Harris, Park Avenue, East Palestine, vs. Steve B. Harris, Steubenville; divorce sought.

Pamela Boratyn, Director, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, vs. unknown heirs, etc. of George W. Ward Sr., deceased, addresses unknown, et al.; appropriation of two parcels along U.S. Route 30, Columbiana County, sought of 0.020 of acre and 0.109 of an acre for $493 for repairs/improvement of road.

Jon M Rea, Struthers, vs. G. Jones Construction LLC, Youngstown, and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation; appeal of claim denial.

Capital One, N.A., Columbus, vs. John R. Neer, Ashland Avenue, East Liverpool; collection sought of alleged $15,902 debt.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Raymond W. Koch, et al.; TotalEnergies E & P USA, Inc. dismissed as defendant.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set May 11 for Randall C. Culler, 46, Bell Road, Lisbon, charged with domestic violence for allegedly pushing a woman onto the ground multiple times on Jan. 8 in Elkrun Township.

Brittini Lynn Duris, 34, last known address Pauls Lane, East Liverpool, was fined $350 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 140 days suspended and credit for 11 days served, leaving a balance of 29 days still to serve in jail for domestic violence, amended from a fourth-degree felony to a misdemeanor, for throwing an item at a man and striking his eyelid, causing it to bleed on April 18 in East Liverpool. She was ordered to stay away from the victim and from a store in East Liverpool. She was also ordered to serve 10 days at the same time as the sentence for domestic violence for violating the terms of her probation for a 2024 theft case. She was also fined $350 for a 2025 theft case for stealing items from Dollar Tree in East Liverpool on Nov. 17, 2025.

A case against Kim Scott Weekley, 61, Hilltop Drive, Lisbon, who was charged with failure to verify residence address, a fifth-degree felony, was dismissed since an indictment was already issued by the county Grand Jury for the offense. Weekley was accused of allegedly failing to verify his address for the sex offender registration in February.

A pretrial was set June 30 for Mark Alan Mills, 45, Moore Street, East Liverpool, charged with assault for allegedly picking up a chair and throwing it at another man on April 29 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set July 14 for Brandon D. Pritt, 21, Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool, charged with assault for allegedly punching another man in the face and head, pinning him between his car door and body as he was also being punched by someone else on March 8 in Perry Township.

A pretrial was set July 15 for Vincent Anthony Circelli, 46, Broadway Avenue, Wellsville, charged with theft, improper/expired registration and assured clear distance. Circelli was accused of allegedly stealing a staple tool and battery from a man working at a rental property on Feb. 26 and pawning them at a Chester, W.Va. pawn shop

A pretrial was set June 22 for Ariel L. Durham, 37, Duck Creek Road, Salem, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing on May 1 on the grounds of a Salem property she had been trespassed from previously. Police responded to a call about a prowler and learned she was banging on the door and woke up the whole family, then walked to a neighbors and was using a swing. She was then seen walking around the back of the Salem property.

Vincent A. Rosati, 34, Franklin Avenue, Salem, was fined $250 for animals at large for a loose dog in Salem on April 19. He had been convicted earlier this year for the same charge.

A pretrial was set May 6 for Seraphim Athena Laws, 21, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, expired license and speeding for allegedly using another woman’s vehicle without permission and without knowing her on April 27 in East Liverpool. The owner reported the call stolen on April 29 and it was later found impounded by Liverpool Township Police after Laws was stopped for driving without a valid license..

Cody A. Jackson, 34, Spinnaker Drive, Columbiana, was fined $100 for failure to file tax return for failing to file a sales tax return for from July 2025 through February 2026 for Sun on the Run Tanning, state Route 170, East Liverpool.

Five counts of failure to file city income tax against Donna Bishop, 57, Needham Street, East Liverpool, were dismissed by the city of East Liverpool because she satisfied her income tax obligations to the city. She had been accused of failing to file East Liverpool city income tax returns from 2020 through 2024.

A pretrial was set May 11 for Travis R. McKinnon, 48, Chester, W.Va., charged with possession of drug abuse instrument and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a used syringe and burnt glass tube and cut off red straw with residue during a traffic stop on Sept. 10, 2023 in East Liverpool. He was also fined $330 for loud exhaust, two counts of unauthorized plate and two counts of driving under suspension. He received no fine and costs were waived for a 2021 case of possession of marijuana drug paraphernalia.

A pretrial was set June 30 for Keith Dewayne Shupp, 48, Eighth Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a glass pipe with residue and a clear capsule with green lid containing a white crystal substance on May 1 in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set July 15 for John Albert Applegate, 69, Thomas Road, Lisbon, charged with operating a vehicle impaired first offense and OVI breath first offense.

A pretrial was set July 6 for Kevin Lamont Street, 50, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

Ashton Michael Sopko, 21, Pulaski, Pa., was fined $150 for speeding.

James Ellsworth Barker, 51, Clark Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $150 for no license.

Brittany Moore, 35, North Pleasant Drive, East Palestine, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

John Sheridan Joy, 43, Charles Street, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for no license.

Adam David Brooks Jr., 25, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for invalid sticker, with no fine for driving under suspension.