The trial of Steffen Baldwin started Monday. Baldwin is the former executive director of Union County Humane Society. He is charged with cruelty to animals as well as lying to animal lovers who contributed to a variety of charities he was associated with. Baldwin took the stand Monday not in his defense but as part of a motion to have the Union County Prosecutor’s Office removed from the trial and a spe-cial prosecutor appointed.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)
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After nearly four years of legal wrangling, the long-awaited trial of Steffen Evan Baldwin is underway.
The trial for Baldwin began Monday with visiting Judge Daniel T. Hogan presiding.
Baldwin, the former executive director of the Union County Humane Society, is facing 42 felony counts including cruelty to animals, bribery, grand theft of a firearm, impersonation of a peace officer, grand theft, falsification, tampering with records, telecommunications fraud and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
In June of 2020, Baldwin, 43, whose court listed address is 3235 Trout Creek Court, St. Augustine, Florida, was indicted, charged with a variety of crimes including cruelty to animals, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, telecommunications fraud, tampering with records, grand theft of a firearm and grand theft.
Over the course of the legal process, some of the charges, including falsification and impersonation charges, have since been dismissed and others, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, have been added.
Getting to trial has taken several years as attorneys argue the timeline and statute of limitations on misdemeanors, deal with health issues for witnesses and the defendant, resolve alleged bond violations and a change of defense attorneys midway through the process.
Hogan said there were some motions to address Monday, but wanted to make sure the trial began as scheduled. Before hearing the motions which would normally been handled pre-trial, Hogan had Campbell Police Officer Jim Conroy sworn in to officially begin the trial. Hogan then adjourned the trial to deal with the defense motions.
Defense Attorney Josh Peistrup argued that Hogan should remove the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, and specifically Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Chase, and appoint a special prosecutor. The defense argued that Baldwin and the agencies he was involved with relied on the prosecutor’s office for legal advice and that Chase had helped form some of the entities and may have information related to the case.
Chase acknowledged that she had offered advice with animal cruelty cases. She also said she attended the initial meeting to create Baldwin’s Animal Cruelty Task Force of Ohio (ACT).
She said she didn’t go to future meetings and did not offer legal advice.
Additionally, Assistant Prosecutor Cortland Perry said that just because there was a relationship didn’t mean the prosecutor’s office was prejudiced against Baldwin. Perry introduced jailhouse conversations where Baldwin said he did not see any conflict of interest.
Hogan ruled there was no need for a special prosecutor. He said he had been part of many cases in Franklin County involving an indicted law enforcement official that was handled by the county prosecutor. He added that it was a “head-scratcher” why the case has been moving for so many years and this motion came forward at the last minute.
During opening statements, Perry said Baldwin wanted to be famous as a dog trainer.
“Steffen Baldwin’s quest for fame left heartbreak and dead dogs in his wake,” Perry said.
According to court documents, Baldwin “did negligently, needlessly kill” at least eight dogs.
Prosecutors said they believe they will ever know the total number of animals Baldwin killed.
They allege Baldwin would tell people he was taking dogs in to rescue or adopt them. He would allegedly raise money for their care, training and adoption, then have them euthanized. Prosecutors said that even after the dogs had been killed, Baldwin would still raise money for them, often from the dog’s family, which was unaware the dog had been euthanized.
The indictments indicate Baldwin took funds from a variety of animal shelters, organizations and individuals throughout the state and nation. Perry said Baldwin used those funds as “his personal ATM.”
Perry argued that Baldwin “mishandled dogs, misrepresented their outcomes and misused charitable funds.”
The prosecution called Litsa Kardakos, the woman who started the investigation into Baldwin’s activities. Kardakos said that she had pulled a pitbull named Remi from a Mahoning County animal shelter. The animal had been slated for possible euthanasia and had a designation as a dangerous dog.
Kardakos broke down into tears as she detailed how she worked with the dog and had been “extremely” successful rehabilitating the dog. She said she knew of Baldwin and trusted him. She said that just months after meeting Baldwin she and her husband made Baldwin the executor of their will and beneficiary of their entire estate.
“He was everything we believed in,” Kardakos testified.
She said she wanted to have the dangerous dog label removed so Remi could have “a chance at a normal life.” Eventually she paid Baldwin $1,000 to take the dog with the promise that he could get the designation removed.
Kardakos said for a couple weeks she got updates on Remi, but eventually Baldwin stopped sending pictures and updates.
About seven months after Baldwin took possession of Remi, Kardakos threatened to contact law enforcement if she did not get updates on the dog.
Baldwin said the dog was being fostered by a former volunteer with one of his entities, but gave no other details.
Eventually Kardakos went to social media to have people call Baldwin’s cell phone and ask where Remi was.
Baldwin asked for a confidential mediation meeting, but Kardakos refused, not wanting it to be confidential.
“I was hoping Remi was OK,” Kardakos testified.
She testified that at the mediation, Baldwin admitted that Remi had been euthanized. He allegedly told her that Remi had broken out of a crate and killed another dog. Baldwin allegedly said Remi had so many injuries that he needed to be euthanized.
He acknowledged that he lied to Remi’s family, but “he said he wanted it to be true.”
“It ended not the best,” Kardakos said of the mediation. “I didn’t believe anything. I thought it was worthless.”
She said that after Baldwin left, she stayed to meet with the mediator, an attorney, to have her will changed.
Within moments after the mediation, Baldwin went to social media to admit, “I was dishonest with them.”
Kardakos said she had nightmares for months and has stopped rescuing animals.
“I don’t trust anybody,” Kardakos said.
The bench trial is scheduled to last nine days. If convicted on all counts, Baldwin could face 83 years in prison.