John L. Marra began his law enforcement career on July 11, 2005 when the 29-year-old became a part-time reserve police officer in Uniontown, Ohio, a Stark County village of 2,800 in the northeastern part of the state. A little over two years after being on the job he entered into an intimate relationship with a 16-year-old girl. He sent her inappropriate text messages and while on duty kissed and fondled her at her place of employment, a Subway restaurant.
In May 2008 the 32-year-old police officer pleaded no contest to dereliction of duty, a second-degree misdemeanor. The Stark County judge sentenced Marra to two years probation and 100 hours of community service. The judge also ordered him not to have further contact with the girl or members of her family. As part of the plea deal officer Marra agreed to resign from the Uniontown Police Department.
In 2010, shortly after his period of probation expired, John Marra joined the police department in Brady Lake, Ohio, a small Portage County town in the Akron metropolitan area. In December 2013, following the retirement of the chief of police, the major named him acting head of the agency. On March 17, 2014 the village council approved Marra's appointment as the chief of the Brady Lake Police Department.
Marra's promotion, given his history with the Uniontown Police Department, raised more than a few eyebrows. In April 2014 members of the local print and television media asked Mayor Hal Lehman if someone, in anticipation of Marra's appointment, had conducted a background investigation. The mayor replied that such an inquiry had been made and said, "We are done with the issue." Another reporter asked the mayor if he would provide the media with a copy of the investigative report. Mayor Lehman said he did not have a copy of that document.
Mayor Lehman, when asked specifically about the new police chief's dereliction of duty conviction five years earlier, had nothing to say other than the matter was settled.
Chief Marra, aware that his 2008 conviction might prove troublesome to the advancement of his law enforcement career, petitioned the court to seal the records of the case. If granted his request this information would be no longer available to the public.
The Stark County prosecutor's office opposed the Marra petition. Recognizing that offenses less serious than a first-degree misdemeanor can be removed from public scrutiny, the prosecutor trying to preserve Marra's conviction history argued that this particular case was an exception because of Marra's intimate involvement with a 16-year-old girl. Had Marra not agreed to plead in the case he could have been convicted of a more serious offense. Moreover, as a public official, the chief of police should be held to a higher standard of conduct than an ordinary citizen. Chief Marra had violated that standard.
On May 1, 2014, following a brief hearing on Marra's petition, Stark County Judge John Poulos approved of the sealing of all documents pertaining to the 2008 dereliction of duty conviction in Uniontown, Ohio. Judge Poulos based his decision on the fact the petitioner had been convicted of a second-degree misdemeanor that under Ohio law allowed the sealing of these crime records. The judge obviously didn't buy the argument that public officials should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us.
We give law enforcement officers enormous power over our lives. In return they owe us honesty, trustworthiness, good character and sound judgment. Officer John Marra, with regard to the girl, exhibited an alarming lack of good judgment as well as a troubling and perhaps pathological flaw in his character.
The citizens of Brady Lake who paid the chief's salary, and were subject to his power and authority, had a right to know such things as the degree to which Marra had coerced or stalked the girl. It may also have been important to know how this case came to light and how the officer initially reacted to the accusation.
In May 2017 residents of Brady Lake voted to disband the town of 500. The fire department and EMS services had closed years earlier. Notwithstanding the closure of the village, Chief of Police Marra and his crew of five part-time officers and 25 volunteer officers continued to stop drivers and issue speeding tickets. Attorney Gregory Wysin told reporters that under Ohio's constitution these officers did not have a right to detain and ticket motorists. The attorney said the police department's ticket issuing spree constituted a last minute money grab. Chief of Police Marra claimed that his department was acting lawfully according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
In May 2008 the 32-year-old police officer pleaded no contest to dereliction of duty, a second-degree misdemeanor. The Stark County judge sentenced Marra to two years probation and 100 hours of community service. The judge also ordered him not to have further contact with the girl or members of her family. As part of the plea deal officer Marra agreed to resign from the Uniontown Police Department.
In 2010, shortly after his period of probation expired, John Marra joined the police department in Brady Lake, Ohio, a small Portage County town in the Akron metropolitan area. In December 2013, following the retirement of the chief of police, the major named him acting head of the agency. On March 17, 2014 the village council approved Marra's appointment as the chief of the Brady Lake Police Department.
Marra's promotion, given his history with the Uniontown Police Department, raised more than a few eyebrows. In April 2014 members of the local print and television media asked Mayor Hal Lehman if someone, in anticipation of Marra's appointment, had conducted a background investigation. The mayor replied that such an inquiry had been made and said, "We are done with the issue." Another reporter asked the mayor if he would provide the media with a copy of the investigative report. Mayor Lehman said he did not have a copy of that document.
Mayor Lehman, when asked specifically about the new police chief's dereliction of duty conviction five years earlier, had nothing to say other than the matter was settled.
Chief Marra, aware that his 2008 conviction might prove troublesome to the advancement of his law enforcement career, petitioned the court to seal the records of the case. If granted his request this information would be no longer available to the public.
The Stark County prosecutor's office opposed the Marra petition. Recognizing that offenses less serious than a first-degree misdemeanor can be removed from public scrutiny, the prosecutor trying to preserve Marra's conviction history argued that this particular case was an exception because of Marra's intimate involvement with a 16-year-old girl. Had Marra not agreed to plead in the case he could have been convicted of a more serious offense. Moreover, as a public official, the chief of police should be held to a higher standard of conduct than an ordinary citizen. Chief Marra had violated that standard.
On May 1, 2014, following a brief hearing on Marra's petition, Stark County Judge John Poulos approved of the sealing of all documents pertaining to the 2008 dereliction of duty conviction in Uniontown, Ohio. Judge Poulos based his decision on the fact the petitioner had been convicted of a second-degree misdemeanor that under Ohio law allowed the sealing of these crime records. The judge obviously didn't buy the argument that public officials should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us.
We give law enforcement officers enormous power over our lives. In return they owe us honesty, trustworthiness, good character and sound judgment. Officer John Marra, with regard to the girl, exhibited an alarming lack of good judgment as well as a troubling and perhaps pathological flaw in his character.
The citizens of Brady Lake who paid the chief's salary, and were subject to his power and authority, had a right to know such things as the degree to which Marra had coerced or stalked the girl. It may also have been important to know how this case came to light and how the officer initially reacted to the accusation.
In May 2017 residents of Brady Lake voted to disband the town of 500. The fire department and EMS services had closed years earlier. Notwithstanding the closure of the village, Chief of Police Marra and his crew of five part-time officers and 25 volunteer officers continued to stop drivers and issue speeding tickets. Attorney Gregory Wysin told reporters that under Ohio's constitution these officers did not have a right to detain and ticket motorists. The attorney said the police department's ticket issuing spree constituted a last minute money grab. Chief of Police Marra claimed that his department was acting lawfully according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
In 2022 John Marra became chief of police of Salineville, Ohio, a village in Columbiana County.
An error in your story, Mr. Fisher. Judge John Poulos is on the bench in Stark County, Ohio, where Uniontown is located and where the offense took place. Not Portage County, Ohio, where Brady Lake is located and where Mr. Marra currently works.
ReplyDeleteAs such, the Portage Count Prosecutor's Office had nothing to do with the case. That would be the Stark County Prosecutor's Office.
an amazing story. bizare someone could do that as a cop, and then end up with a better job.
ReplyDelete