State v. Smith

{¶ 1} Attorney Eric J. Allen — counsel for the defendant in the underlying case — has filed an affidavit with the clerk of this court under R.C. 2701.03 seeking the disqualification of Judge Richard E. Berens from acting on any further proceedings in case No. 2004-CR^t51 in the Court of Common Pleas of Fairfield County.

{¶ 2} Allen states that Judge Berens represented the defendant in an earlier criminal proceeding in 2001, when the judge was in private practice. For that reason, Allen contends that the judge should be disqualified in this case. In addition, Allen notes that the judge sought…