The iOpener: More Indictments At Cuyahoga County Jail; Parts Of New Abortion Ban On Hold

Good morning, iOpeners. It's Friday April 19, 2019, and a Good Friday at that. 

The former warden of the troubled Cuyahoga County Jail has been indicted in connection with the ongoing investigation into the treatment of inmates. Eric Ivey, who was demoted to associate warden earlier this year, faces charges of tampering with evidence for allegedly ordering a corrections officer to shut off his body camera during an emergency incident last August involving the overdose death of an inmate.  He’s also accused of lying to investigators.   Two corrections officers were also indicted, one for assaulting an inmate, breaking his nose and knocking out some of his teeth, and the other for preventing a nurse from treating the inmate's injuries.  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's announcement of the indictments came less than two weeks after five other guards were charged with various offenses. 

Cuyahoga County executive Armond Budish  did not talk about the ongoing investigation of the jail or the corruption probe of the county's Information Technology Department, during his state of the county address Thursday.  He spoke of the steps his administration was taking to improve conditions at the jail.  He said the overcrowded jail should be at or below capacity within a year.  A U.S. Marshals report last fall found conditions at the jail "inhumane," due in part to overcrowding that led short-handed guards to place inmates in lengthy lockdowns. 

Budish's top priorities for his administration are on mitigating the local effects of a warming planet.  He wants to plant thousands of trees and increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations.  He said his administration would also give preference to development projects that are located near mass transit.  Budish also outlined a plan to build a micro-grid in downtown Cleveland that would insulate businesses from costly power outages.  The micro-grid was part of the city's failed bid for Amazon's second headquarters. 

A federal judge ruled that Ohio cannot enforce all of the provisions of a new law banning a common abortion procedure while the law is being litigated. U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett’s ruling in the ongoing Planned Parenthood lawsuit blocks the state from enforcing the law against doctors who perform the procedure on women who are less than 18 weeks pregnant.  Other portions of the ban against the procedure, dilation and extraction, can go forward.

Browns general manager John Dorsey says he's not rushing to deal running back Duke Johnson, who has asked to be traded. He said Johnson is a "talented playmaker."  In his news conference in advance of the state of the NFL draft next Thursday, Dorsey said he’s open to trading up into the first round.  The Browns traded their 17 ^th overall pick for New York Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Weather forecast: Showers, with thunderstorms possible late this afternoon.  High 52.  Tonight, rainy and breezy, low 43.  Right now light rain 49.