A Blight Fighter in Ohio

Judge Raymond Pianka of Cleveland’s Housing Court has taken a hard line on landowners that let their homes fall into disrepair, blighting suffering neighborhoods. But a higher court may be clipping Pianka's wings.

1 minute read

June 12, 2010, 1:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Mara D'Angelo writes that one of Judge Pianka's most effective techniques is to try foreign corporations who have invested locally in his court, and when they don't show up, ruling against them.

D'Angelo writes, "Now the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that holding criminal trials without the presence of the defendant violates state law, reining in the Housing Court's ability to punish criminally negligent companies that refuse to respond to a summons or warrant."

Friday, June 11, 2010 in Next American City

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