Hopwood man found guilty of charges sues city
A Hopwood man found guilty of disorderly conduct and harassment sued the city of Uniontown, its police chief, mayor and parking enforcement officer, claiming he was cited for exercising his right to free speech. Kenneth Ashton and his brother, William Ashton, also of Hopwood, claim in the federal lawsuit that the city’s parking enforcement officer, Georgia Tomi, punched William Ashton when he tried to move his motorcycle in 2008, instead of letting her write a ticket.
In a November 2009 hearing on the criminal citations, Fayette County Judge Steve P. Leskinen called that claim that Tomi hit William Ashton “entirely incredible.”
Leskinen fined Kenneth Ashton $600 plus court costs for calling Tomi a profane name outside city hall.
But in the lawsuit, filed by attorney Charity Grimm Krupa, Kenneth Ashton claims he was cited for complaining about Tomi’s treatment of his brother.
In addition to Tomi, the suit names Chief Jason Cox, who filed the citations and Mayor Ed Fike.
According to the suit, on June 12, 2008, William Ashton had his motorcycle parked on East Main Street, and when he got back to the bike, Tomi was writing him a ticket.
William Ashton told her he would move the vehicle, and started to get on it. When he did, the suit alleged that Tomi punched him in the back with a closed fist.
The Ashton brothers walked to nearby city hall, where they asked to see Fike, Krupa wrote. Cox came there, and, according to the suit, asked Tomi if she hit William Ashton.
Krupa alleged in the suit that Tomi admitted she did.
During the summary trial last year, Tomi denied doing so.
When Kenneth Ashton complained to Cox, the suit indicated the chief cited him.
The citations were first heard by a magisterial district judge, who found Kenneth Ashton guilty. He appealed to Common Pleas Court, where Leskinen ruled in the case.