Criminal Justice & Policing

Former state Rep. Bob Young’s domestic violence trial begins

By: Morgan Trau - October 25, 2023 4:55 am

Former state Rep. Bob Young in court. Photo by WEWS.

Former state Rep. Bob Young was in court Tuesday facing the domestic violence charges that led to his resignation from the Ohio Statehouse.

Young, a former Republican representing the Green area in the Ohio House, has been arrested three times in recent months. His charges include domestic violence, assault, violating a protection order and menacing by stalking. The first two stemmed from an incident in July, the third at the end of August and the fourth in September.

Following Young’s second arrest, he resigned after more than 30 Republican colleagues asked him to step down.

The trial is taking place in Barberton Municipal Court.

Over the summer

Young was arrested by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) in early July for allegedly assaulting both his wife Tina and brother Michael. According to a witness statement, he also assaulted his wife’s friend.

He was charged with two first-degree misdemeanors — one for domestic violence against his wife and the other for assault against his brother.

One of his wife’s friends allegedly caught Young having an affair with a colleague and confronted both him and the supposed mistress, the friend’s witness statement said. This friend was also concerned because Young abused Tina “a lot,” she wrote.

Back in 2020, police reports show deputies were called on Young for a physical domestic disturbance. No charges were filed then.

Both Tina and Michael have restraining orders against Young — which means no contact. Young, however, left three voicemails for his wife in August, according to the sheriff’s office. He also blocked her mail.

The Republican was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor of “recklessly” violating the protection order, according to the Barberton Municipal Court.

In September, Young was again arrested for menacing by stalking, according to court records.

This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.

Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.

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Morgan Trau

Morgan Trau is a political reporter and multimedia journalist based out of the WEWS Columbus Bureau. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Trau has previously worked as an investigative, political and fact-checking reporter in Grand Rapids, Mich. at WZZM-TV; a reporter and MMJ in Spokane, Wash. at KREM-TV and has interned at 60 Minutes and worked for CBS Interactive and PBS NewsHour.