I hate to sound like a broken record, however, it looks like our “Nothing” Clerk, Barbara Johnson continues to do “Nothing” about everything including having case files properly filed away. Our “Nothing” Clerk, Barbara Johnson, has done “Nothing” about this because “Everything” is the same.
How’s this for starters. If you are going to the COC office to look up a particular case, there are three different locations in which to do your “hunt.”
First, start in the main COC office. If it’s a more “current” case, you can check where the files are kept in the office. If you have no luck there, check the many, many boxes filled with case files sitting all over the office. If THAT doesn’t work, then ask one of her staff; perhaps one of them have it on their desks. You can also have one of her already overworked staff call around to the judges offices to see if any of them have it. Though this was very common when former Judge Anne Maschari was in office (she had case files in her chambers dating back to 1979), this is not so common any more.
Still no luck?
Well, never fear, because if it is an older case, the case file you are looking for could be over in the Hedges Building on Columbus Ave., across the street from the library. Just ask one of the already over worked staff to take you across the street to help you search for it. Hey, maybe you’ll be lucky and the weather will be nice for your little jaunt to the Hedges Building. If not….Oh well…..It sucks to be you I guess.
Now if you’re looking for a REALLY, REALLY old case (for historical research), just ask one of the already over worked staff to take you up to the 3rd floor of the Court House to the offices of Judge Tone (which was the former COC office).
Speaking of former and current COC office, why would Barbara Johnson (our COC who is soooo qualified to have this job) sign off (basically saying it’s OK) to move her office from the 3rd floor (where they were bursting - at - the – seams for space) to a SMALLER office space on the 1st floor without having a sensible plan for ALL the case files? If she had any experience, listened to others, or even asked other COC in other counties, she could push for a “Records Retention Center.” But no, it’s just easier to have the citizens (which she prides herself on her “customer relations”) go chasing around on a wild treasure hunt.
WAIT! ! THAT’S IT! ! While searching for a particular case file, if you think of the entire experience as a “Treasure Hunt,” then this could actually be a really fun experience! And just think how good you would actually feel about yourself once you found your “treasure! !” See it could be a “feel – good – about – yourself” exercise. And these days, everyone needs to have those!
Seriously, she has had about 4 years since the move from the 3rd floor to the 1st floor and since the Nov. 2008 election (where she was called out on this) to correct this problem. Unfortunately, our “NOTHING” clerk has failed at doing her job yet again.
Too bad, and so sad; especially since OUR tax money is paying her to do “NOTHING” about everything.
To you the voter I ask: Does this look like she is doing the job that she was elected by YOU THE VOTERS AND TAX PAYERS of Erie County to do?
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To the Moderator:
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity----or maybe just to show the hypocrisy here......Barb Johnson is an elected public official just like prosecutors, judges, recorders, the sheriff, etc. etc. etc., right? And we all as citizens have the right to be critical of our elected public officials if we feel it warranted, right? On the other hand a hand-picked retired judge from Lorain County, Cuyahoga County or any County is NOT an elected public official, right?
So how in the hel! did that whistleblower Baumgartner woman get sentenced to 8 years in prison for her warranted criticism of that corrupt old retired Cuyahoga County Judge Markus that Erie County hired to FIX their corrupt case? I mean I'm sure YOU won't be sentenced to prison for 8 years for your warranted criticism of the elected public official Barb Johnson.
Something sure does smell like rotton eggs in corrupt Erie County, doesn't it? Maybe we should change the name to Cult County?
Julie R.
So why did Johnson move from the 3rd floor to the 1st floor anyway? Weren't the taxpayers told that a 4th Common Pleas Court Judge was needed to handle Maschari's backlog of cases but it wasn't going to cost the taxpayers a thing? Didn't they say that Tone and Binette were going to share one Court, magistrates and staff? Looks to me like the taxpayers sure were lied to on that one so instead of blaming Johnson for the move from the 3rd Floor to the 1st why not look at the whole picture here.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous poster on 8/15/09, 9:47 AM
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct, when Erie County got the 4th judge, we were told that it would not cost the county (tax payers) any extra money; that the 2 judges would share staff, magistrates, etc. However, after Binette got into office, he hired his own staff and magistrates, costing the a bundle.
Someone should start a blog on Binette and keep track of the things he is doing while in office.
But the fact still remains that if Johnson had been in her office everyday, doing her job, she could have done whatever it took to get a larger office space. Instead, since she was rarely in the office, she did not have a clue what was going on and just excepted whatever was given to her.
To Julie R:
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your question is simple. While I am critical of Johnson and provide evidence of her lack of doing her job (and yet getting paid), that is where I will leave it. I will not "cross the line." I will do everything legally.
Elsabeth Baumgartner, while may have been on to some very critical issues, she broke laws by crossing the line numerous times such as slow speed chase with law enforcement through several counties, sending threatening emails to Judge Markus, popping pills and having a syringe in her purse which poked a sheriff deputy in court just to name a few.
If you are going to call an elected (or non-elected) official out on the carpet, do it legally and without little "stunts" that are against the law and will get you in trouble.
To "The Editor"
ReplyDeleteI am commenting for the first time here. I am researching the Elsebeth Baumgartner case and other cases. Please provide examples of "threatening emails" to Markus.
Oliver Hardy
Mr. Hardy -
ReplyDeleteI want to keep this blog on topic. Since this blog is about Barbara Johnson and not Elsebeth Baumgartner I do not want to get into a discussion about Baumgartner. I would love to discuss anything about Johnson. If you are doing research on EB, then I suggest that you google "Elsebeth Baumgartner threatening emails" and I'm sure you'll get a list of what you need there for your research.
If you have any comments and/or questions about Barbara Johnson and the Erie County Clerk of Courts Office, I would be more than happy to address those issues.
To the Editor: I haven't been on this blog for awhile but you are correct. A blog needs to be started on Judge Binette.....and Judge McGookey, too.
ReplyDeleteto the anonymous poster at 12:34 & 9:31 -
ReplyDeletewhatever susan hurst
Hello
ReplyDeleteMaschari is a lesbian and a crook!
ReplyDelete