CLEVELAND — The trial continues for former Cuyahoga County Regional Director of Corrections Ken Mills, who is accused of dereliction of duty.
Editor's note: News 5 has not yet been cleared to stream Tuesday's proceedings in the Ken Mills trial. Once our crew has been given clearance, you can watch the rest of the day's testimony in the video player below:
The 56-year-old Mills is accused of failing to provide for inmates' basic needs, including medical attention, then lying to county council about his role in blocking the hiring of nurses inside the troubled county jail.
RELATED: Day 3 of Ken Mills trial focuses on director's efforts to regionalize overcrowded jail
Prosecutors said Mills, despite having no experience running jails ignored dire warnings about overcrowding and staffing levels, and instead pushed forward with plans to cut costs and regionalize the jail by housing inmates for the city of Cleveland and the suburbs.
But his defense team painted a different version of events, pointing to a state law that puts the sheriff in charge of the jail.
"In 2018, the jail was bursting at the seams," said Meyer. "It comes down to money. The county thought it could charge those cities and suburbs for each inmate, each day and off their backs make money for the county's revenue. Ken was given that job — regionalize the jail."
"It doesn't say jail administrator has charge of the jail," said defense attorney Kevin Spellacy. "It says the sheriff has charge of the jail."
Spellacy told jurors Mills was set up by county bureaucrats.
"My client didn't control how many people are in the jail," said Spellacy. "He doesn't control mergers or acquisitions, he does what he's told. In this instance they want the third guy in line, the outsider to take the heat for the malfeasance of others."
RELATED: Trial begins for former Cuyahoga County Jail director accused of dereliction of duty
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