The multi-faceted court case involving local attorney Andrew R. Schuman began Tuesday as a court trial
being heard by retired Judge Peter Handwork.
Schuman, 47, of Bowling Green, is facing three different court cases with charges involving tampering
with evidence in regard to an alleged traffic collision with a fire hydrant; engaging in a pattern of
corrupt activity including possible misconduct regarding billing in a case; five counts of tampering
with records; one count of perjury; theft, telecommunications fraud; and attempted obstructing justice,
including the allegation that Schuman attempted to have lesser charges filed in one case involving the
attorney.
Due to the availability of witnesses and obligations for the judge, the various aspects of the charges
are being heard in random order.
Today, one alleged victim of Schuman testified to the conduct of Schuman in regard to his representation
and billing and collection practices in dealing with his custody case; however, much of the testimony
involved the alleged crash by Schuman into a fire hydrant on July 20, 2017.
According to Lt. Ryan Patton from the Bowling Green Fire Department, the hydrant had been rotated at
least 45 degrees to the point where it was unusable.
Thomas Matuszak, prosecuting the case on behalf of Wood County, asked Patton about the severity of the
damage to the hydrant. Patton responded, “I would not trust that hydrant.”
Matuszak also questioned Patrolman Chris Garman of the Bowling Green Police Division about his
investigation into the damaged hydrant and how he discovered Schuman’s car in a body shop as well as how
the damage on the car aligned with the damage to the hydrant.
An eye witness to the crash, who is scheduled to testify today, identified Schuman from a photo line-up.
According to testimony provided, Schuman allegedly paid more than $3,860 in cash for the body work as
opposed to submitting it to his insurance — the allegation being that he did not want a record of the
damage to his vehicle.
Another officer, Sgt. Paul Tyson, testified to his activity in the investigation and said that whoever
was involved in that hit-skip crash is required by law to report the damage.
The final witness of the day was Joseph Caligiuri, an official with the Supreme Court of disciplinary
counsel, whose office was involved in the ruling which suspended Schuman from practice for one year,
with six months of that time suspended.
Schuman is being represented in this case by Richard Kerger, who questioned some of the police witnesses
regarding the possible use of the Fifth Amendment rights to self incrimination as to why perhaps his
client admitted to some of the actions resulting in his suspension.
Some of the rulings which Handwork will have to decide is how those admissions might be ethical as
opposed to criminal acts, which could raise the discussion of the Fifth Amendment rights.
The trial was scheduled to resume Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. Testimony will only go to 11 a.m.
because of obligations for the judge. The trial may wrap up as early as Thursday.