Saturday, March 06, 1999
Judge withdraws trip request
Allen: Money may be inappropriate
BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Municipal Court Judge Nadine Allen has decided to withdraw her request for tax dollars to help fund a trip to Paris to study the French legal system.
Hamilton County Commissioners Bob Bedinghaus and John Dowlin questioned the relevance of the trip on Wednesday and asked Judge Allen to reconsider.
On Thursday, Judge Allen wrote a memo to commissioners explaining the conference and her reasons for wanting to go. But in a statement released Friday, Judge Allen wrote:
“Even though the Hamilton County Commissioners have a history of spending taxpayer dollars on judicial international travel, regardless of the judi cial subject matter, and I have adhered to the existing policy in my first application for international study, I agree with Mr. Bedinghaus that it may be inappropriate to expend tax payers' dollars on judicial seminars outside of the state of Ohio.”
Mr. Bedinghaus applauded Judge Allen for her decision.
“I think if this episode causes a more careful review of travel, that may be a positive outcome,” he said.
In her statement, Judge Allen suggested that the courts establish “a new cohesive policy on judicial travel by:
• Setting a minimum travel amount of $1,500 per judge for registration, air fare, hotel and meal costs,
• Determining whether the same area of legal education may be obtained within the state of Ohio at less cost to taxpayers and
• Establishing exceptions for judges who may be officers and executives of national, state and local judicial institutions.”
Mr. Bedinghaus said those sounded like reasonable things for the courts to consider.
Judge Allen said she already has bought non-refundable tickets to Paris, but she hasn't yet decided whether she can afford to pay for the springtime seminar herself.
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