COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Dorian Baum, attorney for the eldest man facing 16 counts of child endangerment out of Vinton County, said he thinks the case may not be criminal in nature.
“Everyone should take a deep breath and step back because unfortunately, when all this comes out, (what) we’re going to see is a state entity which is criminalizing poverty and little more,” Baum said.
Baum is representing Gary Siders, 73, one of four adults who were arrested when officers searched a home in Hamden, about 80 miles south of Columbus, on June 30. Officers found 16 children in the home, seven of whom were hospitalized. Baum said he has received minimal information from the state, but he believes the case may not warrant criminal charges.
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Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who is assisting on the case, had a news conference the day after the Siders adults were arrested. He said the home was “beyond comprehension” and the 16 children were “like almost feral animals.”…