Former deputy gets fines, no jail time in sex-with-informant case

As expected, a former Athens County sheriff's deputy who has previously pleaded guilty to a number of low-level felonies will serve no prison or jail time for his crimes. Jerry Hallowell was, however, sentenced on Wednesday to pay $2,000 worth of fines, undergo limited house arrest for 120 days while wearing an electronic ankle monitor, and serve 80 hours of community service.

Last November, Hallowell pleaded guilty in Athens County Common Pleas Court to one charge of soliciting or receiving improper compensation (which was apparently taking sexual favors from a female drug defendant, and which is a first-degree misdemeanor); plus three fifth-degree felony charges of misusing an official statewide electronic database that is available to police officers and other government officials.

Hallowell admitted that he illegally used the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway to run background checks on women he was interested in romantically.

Originally, Hallowell – who resigned from the sheriff's office after an Athens County grand jury indicted him last April, and is now banned from public employment for seven years – was charged with offenses including sexual battery and attempted sexual battery. He was alleged to have taken advantage of his position as a police officer to coerce sex from two female drug defendants, at least one of whom was reportedly serving as an informant for a drug task force on which Hallowell served.

All the specifically sex-related counts were dropped as part of a plea bargain, however, and on Wednesday, Hallowell's defense attorney, Rolf Baumgartel, repeated his past claims that the sex charges were "absolutely baseless." Baumgartel called that part of the case against Hallowell a blatant case of "character assassination" on the part of the women who accused him.

While Hallowell "would have enjoyed his day in court," Baumgartel said, his client decided to take the "safe" route and accept the plea bargain.

Because of his felony convictions, Hallowell has had to give up his state certification as a police officer, and as mentioned, can't hold any other government job for seven years. "He doesn't like it, obviously," Baumgartel said of this aspect of the plea agreement.

Also as part of the plea bargain, special prosecutor Matthew J. Donahue of the Ohio Attorney General's office did not recommend any sentence, leaving that up to the discretion of appointed Judge Linton Lewis. Baumgartel asked that Hallowell get no incarceration, but that if he did, it should be in the regional jail, not a state prison.

At Wednesday's sentencing, Baumgartel stressed Hallowell's "20-year law enforcement career," which he said has included a great deal of overtime work. "He's certainly shown commitment to the community," the attorney told Judge Lewis, while also acknowledging that "obviously Mr. Hallowell made some unfortunate choices."

Offered the chance to speak for himself before sentence was passed, Hallowell declined.

If Hallowell violates his probation terms, he could be required to serve up to 33 months in prison on the felony charges.

Lewis allowed him privileges to go to work during his four months of electronically monitored house arrest.