From The Cincinnati Enquirer Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser must pay The Enquirer $25,463 in a case involving 911 recordings the state Supreme Court said Gmoser “lacked legal authority” to withhold.
That money represents attorney’s fees The Enquirer incurred as it battled Gmoser over the release of the recordings.
The Ohio Supreme Court last March found Gmoser’s office “stymied a significant public benefit” by withholding the recordings, and said The Enquirer was entitled to attorney’s fees. The high court sent the case back to the 12th District Court of Appeals to determine the amount. A magistrate last week issued the order.
The decision stems from the case of Michael Ray, who killed his stepfather on Father’s Day in 2012. Ray, now 21, was convicted of murder and is serving 15 years to life in prison.