SANDUSKY — Ashli Ford’s not taking a victory lap—she’s taking a hundred victory laps and planning a trip to Disney World—like she just won the Super Bowl. She won, and Ford and the people who support her are celebrating, while her critics wonder if she will ever be held to account.
The Sixth District Court of Appeals threw out Ford’s 2025 felony intimidation convictions on Tuesday, saying Ford’s threats to destroy the reputations of four Norwalk city officials is protected speech under the First Amendment. Visiting Judge Deborah Boros, at a bench trial, convicted Ford on those four counts in May 2025, but she dismissed extortion charges involving the city officials and the family of homicide victim Amanda Dean.
Erie County Prosecutors have not responded to a request for comment about the Appeals Court decision, nor have they made any statement since the ruling was handed down Tuesday.
