Prosecutors seek password for indicted judge's personal computer
Prosecutors in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, are seeking a court order that would force an indicted former municipal judge to provide the password for his personal computer.
Prosecutors say an initial search of the computer indicates that Judge Harry Jacob III viewed a brothel ad while he was apparently hearing court cases in Bedford and visited sex-addiction websites while at a legal seminar, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Jacob provided a general login but refused to divulge the password for encrypted files, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, according to a motion filed by prosecutors.
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A grand jury on Tuesday indicted Jacob on charges of tampering with evidence, tampering with records, possessing criminal tools and failure to report a felony, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports in a separate story. The additional charges follow his indictment in December on charges of bribery, promoting prostitution and soliciting sex. Jacob was removed from the bench after the initial indictment.
Prosecutors allege that Jacob supervised at least two women engaging in prostitution, solicited sex from three women and gave special favors to women who appeared in his court, the Plain Dealer says. Lawyers for Jacob have said he “adamantly denied” the charges.
