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Seating a jury in the Tracie Hunter trial

Ann Thompson
/
WVXU
Tracie Hunter at a court hearing this summer.

Hamilton County prosecutors and Tracie Hunter's attorney, Clyde Bennett II will begin picking a jury Monday.

The suspended juvenile court judge has been indicted on nine counts including tampering with evidence, forgery and theft in office. She's accused of misusing county credit cards and backdating court documents.

On July 15, 2014 Judge Norbert Nadel refused to dismiss the charges. Bennett asked the judge for a change of venue. Nadel said he would consider it only if a jury couldn't be seated.

Bennett says his client is not guilty

After the July court hearing Bennett said the strategy is simple. "You don't have to come up with a defense when somebody hasn't done anything wrong."

Hunter took office in May 2012, 18 months after the November 2010 general election. After the election, Hunter went to federal court after losing to Republican John Williams by 23 votes.

A U.S. District Court judge ordered disputed provisional ballots to be counted and Hunter ended up winning the election. Williams was later appointed to a vacant juvenile court judgeship.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.