Cuyahoga County’s new prosecutor officially took office today. Michael O’Malley defeated the one-term incumbent Tim McGinty last year. WKSU’s Kevin Niedermier reports on some of O’Malley’s plans for the office.
O’Malley says one of his first orders of business will be to bring back the connection the prosecutor's office has with residents, a program he has criticized McGinty for dismantling.
“Reestablishing our community-based prosecution unit and getting our prosecutors back involved in our community to try to establish the necessary relationships so we have a good, positive feedback from the community. And really to try to push our agenda forward with the local police agencies as well.”
O’Malley has appointed prosecuting attorney Lisa Williamson as his first assistant. He says she is the county’s first woman to hold that position. And, he’s appointed Diane Russell to head his criminal division. She will be the county’s first African-American woman in that position. Overall, he says most of the current office’s staff will remain. O’Malley’s public swearing in take place tomorrow afternoon.
