Wayne — David Betras, the lawyer for former city assistant prosecutor Nick Graham, claimed on Monday that Enzo Cantalamessa's decision to fire Graham was "retaliatory and politically motivated" and was connected to Cantalamessa's wife's unsuccessful bid to become the Trumbull County Common Pleas judge in May.
.jpg "Graham attorney: Firing was retaliatory")
Graham attorney: Firing was retaliatory
Cantalamessa stated on Monday night that he had nothing further to add about the claim.
After being placed on unpaid administrative leave on August 15, Graham was fired earlier this month. This was most likely because of an incident on August 7 when a brawl broke out at Graham's Fairway Drive NE home during his son's 19th birthday party.
There was allegedly "a lot of underage drinking" at the party, according to police body camera footage from the event.
After being detained during the incident, Ryan A. Boano, 18, of Struthers Road, Lowellville, entered a not guilty plea to one count of felony assault in Warren Municipal Court.
Graham had been absent from work due to illness from August 1 and was out until August 14 when the altercation occurred.
The only thing that is known for sure is that a huge number of Polish children, including one who entered the party with an open bottle of rum and a ski mask, crashed it. Graham asked them to go right away and several times, Betras alleged. They declined, and after that attacked Nick and his son. Graham informed the police of the incident when they arrived. What I do know is that Graham and his family did nothing wrong.
Warren City Law Department
Betras claims that Graham's dismissal from the Warren City Law Department, where he had worked for 22 years, was not due to the incident but rather because of his opposition to Cantalamessa's wife, Dawn Cantalamessa, who was running for Trumbull County Common Pleas judge in the Democratic primary on May 3.
Cantalamessa stated that "the law department has opted to move in a different route" at the time of Graham's dismissal.
On Graham's behalf, Betras and his business, Betras, Kopp & Marketo, will seek all "legal remedies."
