On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 21 WFMJ reported that a Girard Municipal Court judge recused himself from a case involving Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Ronald J. Rice, who faces multiple charges, including a felony count of improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle.
Judge Jeffrey Adler stepped aside, citing the potential appearance of impropriety and the need to maintain public confidence in the judicial system. His recusal prompts the Ohio Supreme Court to appoint a new judge to oversee the proceedings.
Rice, 69, entered a not guilty plea in writing to charges related to a July 18 incident in Vienna Township. The charges include a felony for mishandling a firearm in a motor vehicle, as well as misdemeanor counts of operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI) and failure to control a vehicle.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Rice’s 2025 Mini Cooper veered off the road, struck two signs, and overturned in a ditch. Authorities reported that Rice declined OVI testing at the scene and was found with a loaded handgun inside the vehicle.
Source: 21 WFMJ
