Charges filed against a former Franklin County bailiff caught on camera appearing to hit a woman have been dismissed.
Misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and disorderly conduct filed against Kelli Johnson, 60, were dismissed on June 29, Franklin County Municipal Court records show.
Court records show Johnson is required to pay $152 in costs and fees.
The charges stemmed from a March 24 incident that happened in a hallway outside Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Monica Hawkins’ courtroom.
Security footage from the area shows a woman exiting Hawkins’ courtroom around 3:30 p.m., followed by Johnson, who served as Hawkins’ bailiff at the time.
The video appears to show Johnson shoving the woman, who stumbles back several steps before turning to speak to Johnson. The video shows Johnson walking toward the woman and appears to show her using both hands to shove the woman a second time.
Johnson then appears to say something to the woman and turn to go back toward the courtroom. The video shows Johnson then walking about four steps and pushing open the hallway door into the courtroom’s vestibule as the other woman walks toward Johnson.
The video shows Johnson turning around and closing the distance between herself and the other woman before smacking what looks like a cell phone out of the woman’s hand. Johnson then appears to strike the woman a second time before turning and walking back to the courtroom again.
The video shows Johnson turning again after the woman appears to speak to Johnson or otherwise draw her attention. Johnson walks toward the woman, stops and stands in front of her as the woman appears to be speaking. Johnson then turns and walks back into the courtroom, according to the video.
The woman in the video told The Dispatch she had wanted to file a complaint about a court-appointed guardian ad litem in an ongoing case and was directed to Hawkins’ courtroom. Johnson didn’t seem interested in taking the complaint, the woman said, and the two exchanged words prior to what the video captured.
Johnson resigned about 10 days after the incident. The misdemeanor charges were filed on April 17, Municipal Court records show.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Charges dropped against former juvenile court bailiff in hallway assault
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
