Indicted former Urbana lawyer was fired from Clark County Prosecutor’s Office

CLARK COUNTY — A now-former Urbana lawyer was running into trouble long before he went into private practice, public records show.

News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson filed a public records request for Ryan Shane Reed’s employment file from the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office.

Reed was an assistant prosecuting attorney there from 2011 until 2013 – when he was fired.

Former Clark County Prosecutor Andy Wilson wrote in documents contained in the file that Reed was fired for several reasons – including violating the Ohio Lawyer’s Assistance Program contract.

OLAP is a service for those who work in law, like lawyers or judges, who are struggling with substance abuse.

Wilson also cites that Reed would miss work without calling or texting. There was also a complaint filed against Reed by Springfield City Schools involving a relationship that Reed was having with a school truancy officer. At the time, Reed was handling several cases going through Clark County Juvenile Court.

“Ryan Reed was warned on multiple occasions that his behavior/conduct was detrimental to his continued employment,” Wilson writes.

In the time since he worked at the prosecutor’s office, Reed went into private practice and was primarily working out of Urbana – until his license was suspended about a month ago.

A motion filed against him in the Ohio Supreme Court says Reed’s license should be suspended because he poses “serious harm to the public.”

The motion cites several concerns including missed court appearances by Reed while defending clients, signs of serious alcohol and drug abuse, a suicide attempt and arrests for criminal acts.

On May 6, Reed was charged with domestic violence, assault and OVI for slashing an Urbana woman’s tires and shoving her.

A little more than a week later, he was charged with burglary and violating a protection order for breaking into the woman’s house.

Finally, on May 16, he was again charged with burglary for breaking into the woman’s house while wearing a bulletproof vest.

A warrant was issued for his arrest.

The Disciplinary Counsel, which authored the motion, says many of Reed’s problems stem from his dependency on drugs and alcohol.

The documents say local judges and court staff, including Champaign County Common Pleas Court Judge Nick Selvaggio made personal visits to Reed in the hospital and in his home – asking him to stop drinking and taking drugs, but no one could get through to him.

Many people who were close to Reed told News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson that Reed had the potential to be a great lawyer if it wasn’t for his substance abuse problem.

On Monday, Reed was involved in a chase with Champaign County Sheriff’s Office deputies before he crashed the car he was driving on Woodburn Road.

Reed is currently being held in the Tri-County Jail on the charges stemming from the chase. His bond was set at $150,000 at his arraignment on Tuesday.

His next court date is July 1.

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