LISBON — Chief Assistant County Prosecutor John Gamble may get his day in court regarding allegations of an election campaign violation, but not until after the November election.

Gamble appeared on Wednesday morning before Judge David Stucki, the visiting judge for the case in county Municipal Court. He is charged with four misdemeanor counts of complicity involving two East Liverpool police officers appearing with several other police officers on his John Gamble for Prosecutor campaign Facebook page. The photos include a caption about Gamble being supported by the police.

During the brief hearing on Wednesday, which was scheduled as a pretrial, Gamble’s defense attorney Ronald Yarwood said he is awaiting the evidence from the Ohio Attorney General’s office. Yarwood further indicated Gamble maintains he is innocent of the charges and anticipates he will request a jury trial.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Daniel J. Kasaris, who is responsible for special prosecutions for the Ohio Attorney General’s office, said he is unavailable the month of October for the trial, which is anticipated by both attorneys to take one day. Kasaris said he has a capital case in Madison County set to commence before a panel of three judges on Oct. 13.

Yarwood questioned with such a large staff at the Ohio Attorney General’s office would it not be possible to send someone else from their staff to try the case.

“They have an entire attorney general’s office, they could have somebody try this case in October given that I think everyone is cognizant of the fact that there are political repercussions in this case and the elections are coming up,” Yarwood said.

Stucki said while the court is mindful of that, he was more concerned that the case be properly tried. Additionally, he suggested that with the court’s schedule, his own case schedule and the fact county Municipal Court had only 13 jurors appear for jury duty last week, Stucki said he believes it may difficult for it to be practical to get the case on the docket prior to the election.

Kasaris responded he is the person most familiar with the case and while there are eight or nine people in his unit, they all have their own schedules.

From a time perspective for a speedy trial, Kasaris stated although Gamble did not sign a time waiver, the 90 days is currently on hold due to the request for evidence filed by Yarwood not yet being filled. If the evidence is turned over next week, that gives them until sometime in December to meet the speedy trial deadline.

Although a date was not scheduled, the Wednesday dates being considered on the court’s calendar are in late November and early December, including the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving.

Gamble’s divorce decree also was filed this week in Common Pleas Court and the marriage was dissolved. Aside from the usual division of property and payment of expenses was a note that Gamble’s wife’s attorney, Tracey Laslo, had filed several motions requesting Gamble be cited for contempt for not complying with the orders of the court. Another visiting Judge Joseph Giulitto found Gamble in “willful contempt” and ordered him to pay the $4,935 in attorney fees for Laslo to prepare, file and prosecute the contempt motions.

djohnson@mojonews.com