Ready to go

It is just amazing as I sit back and reflect on the Jan. 23 arson fire that took six lives from a Stewart Avenue home that it took just three days to pick a jury to hear the highly publicized case.

Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge R. Scott Krichbaum could not hide the satisfication and pride on his face when I stopped in just a couple of hours after the jury selection process was completed in the case of 18-year-old Michael Davis of Bennington Avenue.

Davis could get the death penalty if convicted of the death of Carol Crawford, her daughter and four of her grandchildren in the cauldron their home became after someone tossed a firebomb on the porch early in the frigid morning of Jan. 23.

I have covered three other capital cases, the last the case against Martin Koliser, who was accused of killing a city police officer, and that process took almost two weeks.

Thus, it was with a bit of surprise when I called late Tuesday afternoon and was told by court staff that they were almost done and expected to complete the process Wednesday afternoon. It was a bit shocking to hear that they completed it this morning about the same time I was putting my kids on the bus for school.

Krichbaum has achieved a reputation for being quick and not wanting to waste time. Some might call those traits the same as those of a control freak.

Maybe they're right, but who cares? In this case, he makes sure justice will not wait. They're ready to go. And that can only be a good thing for the defendant, the victims and the community.