[WINNER]
DAVID KRIKORIAN: A visiting judge in the Clermont County Common Pleas Court ruled that an attorney who works for the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund cannot represent U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township) in a lawsuit there. The ruling is a victory for Krikorian, who ran as an independent against Schmidt in 2008 for her congressional seat. Schmidt is suing Krikorian for defamation, after he called her a “puppet” of Turkish special interests. Because the attorney could be called as a witness, it would pose a conflict of interest for him to serve as co-counsel. Krikorian once distributed a pamphlet alleging Schmidt had received “blood money” from the Turkish government to oppose a resolution.
[LOSER]
SHEREE PAOLELLO: The chatty, blonde co-anchor at WLWT-TV put her foot in her mouth during a March 31 newscast. As a pre-taped story began about ex-Congressman Steve Driehaus becoming an HIV/AIDS educator with the Peace Corps in Swaziland in southern Africa, the audio to the piece cut out and instead viewers heard Paolello being catty off-camera. The TV spokesmodel can be heard imitating Driehaus and saying, “I’m clearly depressed and joining the Peace Corps. How did I lose to Steve Chabot and his awful...” before the audio cuts out. (Presumably, she made a crack about Chabot’s ratty comb-over next.) Maybe Sheree should just focus on reading her lines from the teleprompter and stop mocking people.
[???]
FLYNT BROTHERS: A federal judge last week in the dispute between Larry and Jimmy Flynt decided to allow both brothers to temporarily continue using the “Hustler” name on their competing downtown stores. Larry Flynt, the First Amendment champion and longtime nemesis of Simon Leis, wants his lesser-known sibling to cease operating his Elm Street store or, at the very least, stop using the company name and recently opened a Seventh Street store to drive the other out of business. But Jimmy alleges he’s a full partner in what amounts to a family company and should be fairly compensated. Until the matter is resolved once and for all, we recommend the boys take some of their work home with them and try to relax a little.
[LOSER]
WEST CHESTER: Township officials have agreed to pay a township employee and her attorney $140,000 to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed by Denise Bruce, who is director of the township’s 911 communications center. She sued in summer 2009 after trustees denied her request to retire from her position, then rehire her at a lower salary so she could collect a paycheck and a pension. Trustees previously had allowed several male employees — including Bruce’s husband, ex-Township Police Chief John Bruce — to do the same thing over the years. Trustees had alleged the decisions were made on a case-by-case basis, depending on how important the positions were to the township’s operation.
