Suspect Acquitted of Most Charges in Cincinnati City Hall Sword Incident
Alexandra “Al” Dalton, accused of smuggling a sword concealed as a cane into Cincinnati City Hall, has been acquitted on four of the five charges faced. Hamilton County Common Municipal Court Judge Samantha Silverstein found Dalton not guilty of inducing panic, carrying a concealed weapon, having a deadly or dangerous weapon in a city building, and disturbing a lawful meeting. Dalton was convicted solely of resisting arrest and sentenced to three days in jail, with credit for time already served. Prosecutors had argued that Dalton brought a two-foot-long blade with a sharp tip, concealed within a cane, into a city council meeting on May 6. A Cincinnati police sergeant was alerted to the hidden sword and removed it before public comment began. The defense attorney for Dalton contended that the item was not a deadly weapon and that Dalton never brandished it or made threats, using it only as a mobility aid. City Councilman Mark Jeffreys expressed frustration with the ruling, calling it “ridiculous” and “outr...