FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — A former bailiff is facing charges after she allegedly assaulted a woman during an interaction inside Franklin County Juvenile Court, according to our media partner WBNS-10 TV.
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Kelli Johnson is charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
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Our media partner obtained video of the incident, which shows an encounter between Johnson and another adult.
It took place outside then-Administrative Judge Monica Hawkins’ courtroom on the sixth floor.
The video shows two women leaving the courtroom, one of whom has been identified as Johnson.
She was Hawkins’ bailiff at the time.
Johnson appears to push the other woman through the doors, WBNS-10 reported.
The woman stays in the hallways and keeps talking to Johnson, who then appears to push her again.
The video then shows the woman holding up her cellphone in the hallway. However, children and other adults are present in this area.
Johnson allegedly tries to get the phone from the woman’s hand, knocking it to the floor.
A Franklin County Sheriff’s Office incident report notes that Johnson called the woman several profane names during the interaction.
Sam Shamansky, Johnson’s attorney, told WBNS-10 that she intends to plead not guilty.
The City Attorney’s office released a statement on the charges:
“Those who work in our justice system should be held to the highest standard of conduct. Our prosecution team initiated a thorough review of the facts, and given the evidence, determined appropriate charges that can be proven in Court beyond a reasonable doubt.”
In the days after the interaction, Hawkins stepped down as administrative judge, and Johnson resigned from her position as bailiff.
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