Judge to decide on whether to make Youngstown explosion settlement private

A court hearing was held Monday afternoon over whether to keep certain settlement details private in the deadly Realty building explosion that happened last May in Youngstown.

It’s been nearly a year since the blast that killed 27-year-old Akil Drake, a Chase Bank employee. 

“It had such an effect, it's most certainly a day that I think is going to be talked about for years to come,” said attorney Frank Cassese of BETRAS KOPP. 

Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert Rusu heard the arguments over whether to seal records in a civil settlement involving Drake’s family.

Attorneys for both the Drake family and Enbridge Gas, a defendant in the case, were present at the hearing.

Rich Cline, an attorney for Enbridge Gas, said the defendants requested the seal and emphasized that no one is opposing the motion.

Attorneys argued that sealing the settlement amount protects the family’s privacy.

Cline also stated that making the records public could discourage others from pursuing legal action tied to the explosion, but not everyone agrees. 

“In a scenario like this, transparency is always the best route," Cassese said, "I think that the general public would appreciate it, as it relates to litigants, specifically in these cases, who are representing others, also taking legal action related to the explosion."

While Cassese said he believes the sealed information will be discoverable in court, he argued that sealing it places an unnecessary roadblock and potentially puts financial power in the hands of the companies involved. 

“We’re going to respect whatever decision the judge makes, but we would hope that it's not sealed,” he added.

Judge Rusu is expected to decide on whether the records will be sealed in the coming days.