CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A mistrial was declared Thursday in the felony trial of Caleb Moritz, former chief deputy of the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, in the Ross County Common Pleas Court. Judge Randy Deering ruled that the state withheld critical evidence, including a cell phone extraction report tied to a key witness. The procedural mistrial, which does not dismiss the charges, halts proceedings, with the trial to be rescheduled. The ruling followed a motion by defense attorney Paul Scarsella after the prosecution’s first witness testified.
Moritz, 39, faced 10 felony charges, including two counts of corrupting another with drugs, one count of tampering with evidence, two counts of unlawful transactions in weapons, one count of forgery, one count of grand theft, and one count of intimidation of a witness. The charges allege Moritz abused his authority by providing fentanyl to two victims in exchange for sexual acts, tampered with evidence, engaged in illegal weapons transactions, and stole a sheriff’s office handgun. A supplemental indictment in February 2025 added one intimidation count and one forgery count, though one of the original intimidation charges was dismissed on Tuesday, of this week before the trial began, reducing the total to 9 counts.
The trial, relocated from Hocking County to Ross County due to pretrial publicity, began Tuesday in Chillicothe’s Ross County Courthouse. The venue change, granted by Deering in February followed a joint motion citing Moritz’s high-profile status, his 2024 Republican primary candidacy for Hocking County Sheriff, and extensive media coverage. Moritz, who left his position in April 2023, was indicted in 2023 after an investigation involving the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, the county prosecutor’s office, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
On Tuesday, Scarsella successfully moved to dismiss the one intimidation charge, arguing insufficient evidence. The trial proceeded with opening statements and one prosecution witness on Wednesday. Scarsella’s mistrial motion centered on a cell phone extraction report from Sarah Arledge’s cell phone, a key witness, referenced in discovery but never provided to the defense. The report, containing the phone’s full contents, was reviewed during the investigation but withheld. The prosecution used selectively chosen messages, while the complete extraction, which may likely contain evidence that exonerates Moritz, was not disclosed.
Arledge has recanted allegations she made against Moritz multiple times.
Judge Deering, finding the withholding violated Moritz’s due process rights, declared a procedural mistrial. The charges remain intact, and the court will schedule a new trial date in future hearings.
Scarsella has repeatedly challenged the prosecution’s conduct, filing motions to suppress evidence from a search of Moritz’s home, unseal grand jury transcripts, and dismiss charges for alleged prosecutorial misconduct. He has argued the investigation was politically motivated, citing tensions between Moritz and Hocking County Sheriff Lanny North, as well as issues surrounding former Hocking County Prosecutor Ryan Black, who resigned in April 2024 amid unrelated allegations.
Special prosecutors Cynthia Ellison and Brad Tammaro of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office have denied misconduct, asserting their case is strong. Ellison, who directed a search warrant at Moritz’s home, was the subject of a failed defense motion to remove her in July 2024. The mistrial adds to delays in a case marked by continuances, including one in February 2025 over a discovered iPad and another in October 2024 for alleged prosecutorial misconduct.
The case, covered extensively by the Scioto Valley Guardian, has drawn attention for its implications for Hocking County’s law enforcement community. Moritz remains free on bond. Neither Scarsella nor the Attorney General’s Office commented immediately after the mistrial. The court will address the newly located evidence and rescheduling in upcoming proceedings.