An Akron municipal court public defender has been reassigned following a high-profile case.
This following reporting in the Beacon Journal about Catherine Loya, who reportedly refused a breathalyzer test when found in a car with Judge Joy Oldfield -- a car a Copley officer said smelled of alcohol.
City Prosecutor Doug Powley says he got word from the supervisor of the public defender's office that Loya has been re-assigned and will not be appearing inside Oldfield's courtroom.
Powley says he has reviewed the allegations with his courtroom prosecutor and has been assured that there has been "no adverse results" during the time that Judge Oldfield served in the courtroom.
"With the determination that there has been no undue influence in past cases, I think that concludes my concerns unless more information comes to light," said Powley.
Powley questioned a potential conflict on reports from the Beacon Journal that Oldfield provided a ride to work for Loya following the incident, since she lost her license to drive while a citation was pending for physical control of a vehicle and refusing the test.
The Beacon Journal reports the Akron Bar Association is also investigating and may send the case to the Ohio Supreme Court.
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