CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A judge Tuesday ordered SWAT teams to accompany a jury to the sites where a Cleveland man -- charged with being the leader of the Heartless Felons gang -- is accused of committing a series of violent crimes.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Astrab told sheriff's deputies that he believed the protection was necessary for when the jury sees the areas where prosecutors say Julius Webster committed the crimes in August 2013. Astrab said he wanted units from Cleveland and the sheriff's department to be with the jurors Wednesday.
Astrab called for the extra units after Webster demanded that he be allowed to attend the viewing.
"This is a public safety issue,'' Astrab told deputies and attorneys.
The jury is expected look at two locations: the first at East 71st and Superior Avenue, where Webster is accused of robbing and killing Curtis Marks, and the second at a gas station at St. Clair Avenue, where Webster is accused of a carjacking.
Afterward, prosecutors will begin presenting evidence in Astrab's courtroom.
Webster, 28, of Cleveland, is accused of gang charges, as well as aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and weapons violations. If convicted, he could face more than 50 years in prison.
His trial is expected to detail the inner workings of a gang that has its origins on East Side streets. Its numbers exploded in state prisons and juvenile facilities during the 2000s. Law enforcement officials say the gang is among the state's fastest growing and most vicious.
For SWAT teams to accompany jurors to view a site is extremely rare. In fact, a spokesman for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty said he cannot recall it happening. Cuyahoga County Sheriff Frank Bova said he was in meetings most of the afternoon and had not heard of Astrab's request.
On Monday, Astrab's courtroom was filled with deputies in bulletproof vests. One of the deputies at random intervals walked through the courtroom with a police canine.
Several deputies stood outside the courtroom, demanding that visitors write their name and provide photo identification. Astrab has prevented people from bringing cellphones into the courtroom.
A person inside the courtroom with a cellphone will face arrest. Authorities fear visitors could take pictures and use the photos to intimidate people, including witnesses.
The charges link Webster to a leadership role in the Heartless Felons. He also is accused of robbing a Canton convenience store.
In addition, prosecutors said, Webster stole a man's car during the attack at the gas station, and he robbed and killed Marks at the Club Fly High at East 71st and Superior. The jury will not view the Canton site.
Webster denies the allegations. Defense attorneys Michael Goldberg and James A. Jenkins contend the allegations against Webster have nothing to do with the gang. They also claimed that the allegations of the robbery in Canton have nothing to do with crimes in Cleveland.