Lorain County Recorder Mike Doran pleads 'not guilty' to sexual imposition charge in Elyria Municipal Court

ELYRIA — Lorain County Recorder Mike Doran pleaded not guilty Thursday in Elyria Municipal Court to a misdemeanor charge of sexual imposition. Doran, 41, of Denison Avenue in Elyria, entered the plea during a court appearance with his attorney, Justin Mackin. Christina Doran, Mike Doran's wife, sat behind him in the courtroom gallery. Visiting Judge Patrick Carroll set a personal bond and handed down a "no-contact" order forbidding Mike Doran from having any contact with the alleged victim, an 18-year-old Summit County woman who alleged that on April 25, Doran touched her in an inappropriate, sexual manner. Mike Doran waived his right to a speedy trial after briefly consulting with Mackin. The next pretrial hearing is Sept. 8. Carroll said he expects Mike Doran to be present at every hearing. "This is a criminal matter," Carroll told Mackin after he asked if his client might be excused from a proposed future court date. Carroll is hearing the case by assignment of the Ohio Supreme Court. John Reulbach, the former Avon Lake city prosecutor, is the special prosecutor on the case at the request of the Elyria Law Department. Sexual imposition can apply to instances of unwanted or coerced sexual contact, such as touching. Third-degree misdemeanors are punishable by a maximum of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. A conviction in the case may require Mike Doran to register as a Tier I sex offender with his local sheriff for up to 15 years after conviction, the lowest classification available under Ohio law. The accuser did not appear at the hearing, but was represented in court by Naji McCall, a victim advocate with the Elyria City Prosecutor's Office. McCall said she had spoken with the alleged victim and adivsed her of her rights. She said the victim, who is dating a politically involved Lorain County man, was concerned about possibly interacting with Mike Doran at upcoming political events. Carroll said he was reluctant to forbid Mike Doran, an elected county official, from attending political events just because the alleged victim might attend with her boyfriend. The alleged victim's boyfriend is "either going to have to go it alone ... or (the alleged victim) is going to have to use her judgment," Carroll said. If she is in fear of Mike Doran, she can stay away from him, he said. "I'm not going to have a protective order being used as a sword instead of a shield," Carroll said. A Republican, Mike Doran was first elected recorder in 2020 and reelected in 2024. He declined comment after Thursday's arraignment concluded. The county recorder is responsible for making complete, accurate and permanent records of the history of real estate and property ownership within the county. Serving in a normally noncontroversial elected county office, Mike Doran's first four-year term involved several controversies. Just before the 2024 general election, the Lorain County Democratic Party accused Mike Doran of deliberately concealing criminal behavior in his past by changing his last name from Fetterman to Doran in 2011. Under the name "Mike Fetterman," Mike Doran was convicted of assault in Wyoming, theft and driving on a suspended license in Washington state, all in 2007. None of the charges were felonies and none of the convictions disqualified him from holding office in Ohio. John Gall, a fellow Republican and administrative assistant to Republican Lorain County Commissioner Jeff Riddell, accused Mike Doran of punching him following a confrontation in Elyria on Dec. 7, 2023. The incident was the result of an ongoing feud between Mike Doran and Gall over parking spaces at the County Administration Building parking garage. Gall and his wife, in one car, followed the Dorans, who were driving separate cars, toward their Elyria home that night. When the Dorans pulled over to see who was following them, Gall also stopped. He later claimed Mike Doran punched him through the open window of his car, but both parties declined to press criminal charges. Christina Doran was denied a civil stalking protection order against Gall in Common Pleas Court last year over the incident. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.