Editor’s Note: City Law Director Josh Stolly issued the following media release Tuesday afternoon concerning online and social media comments and allegations made against himself and Bellefontaine Municipal Prosecutor Crystal Welsh related to a pair of cases handled by her office.
Dear Citizens:
Recently, there have been a number of on-line posts relating to two Logan County cases
involving minor children, alleged criminal wrongdoing and a lack of prosecution by the
Bellefontaine Municipal Prosecutor. There is an additional question being asked: “Who
appoints the Prosecutor?” As your City Law Director, one of my responsibilities is the
appointment of the Bellefontaine Municipal Prosecutor.
The Prosecutor is responsible for handling all county wide criminal misdemeanor offenses,
traffic offenses and various civil enforcement actions on behalf of the City of Bellefontaine.
Annually, the Prosecutor oversees approximately 6,000 cases. Our prosecutor has been an incredible asset to our legal community and is known to uphold the highest legal and ethical standards of the role. As Law Director, I do not review cases or provide input on which cases are to be pursued. Our Prosecutor, based on years of training and expertise, makes the final determination on which criminal charges to pursue, if any. I support those decisions.
It is the customary practice of the Bellefontaine Municipal Court Prosecutor’s office to not respond to case specific requests for comment by the media. The Prosecutor’s office does and will meet with victims and their families. The role of any prosecutor’s office is to protect the public by pursuing justice supported by sufficient and credible evidence. A prosecutor cannot act with a personal agenda – they must follow the law and the evidence.
When criminal charges are brought against an alleged criminal wrongdoer, the prosecution must prove the crime occurred beyond a reasonable doubt. Often times, the most reliable and credible evidence in any criminal prosecution is compiled by those with specialized training, including law enforcement and health care professionals. Testimony of law enforcement is a critical component of any criminal prosecution to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Without the supporting testimony of the professionals and sufficient evidence, an ethical prosecutor cannot file charges when they believe the evidence is not sufficient to prove a crime was committed beyond a reasonable doubt. I have no doubt that our Prosecutor is acting with the highest degree of professionalism and upholding the ethical obligations of the office.
No one wants to see a child hurt, injured or victimized. A lack of criminal charges is not a
statement that wrongdoing did not occur. Regrettably, victims of abuse and neglect sometimes fall outside the reach of criminal prosecution for the reasons stated above.
The burden of proof is substantially less for children service cases. Further, the burden for
protection orders, a preponderance of the evidence, is also lesser legal standard. The lower burden of proof is why cases are brought in those venues to immediately offer protections for those involved when criminal charges are not yet supported.
If you or anyone you know are currently being abused, please immediately call law enforcement as they are trained to investigate and will call a victim advocate to offer additional support as well as other professionals as necessary.
Josh Stolly, City Law Director
