Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 9, 2024
New Assistant Prosecutor Secures Justice for Victim in First Jury Trial
The newest assistant prosecutor in the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office successfully obtained justice for a local victim in a jury trial.
In her first jury trial as an assistant prosecutor, Amy Otto prosecuted a case about the violation of a temporary protection order by the defendant, Ricardo “Ricky” Rizzato.
Represented by local attorney Kris Hill, Rizzato was found guilty by a jury of his peers. Immediately after the verdict, Muskingum County Court Judge Scott Rankin sentenced Rizzato to 170 days in jail.
Otto says the case started with a text message received by the victim from an unknown number she believed was owned by Rizzato.
“There was no contact between them for a while, but then, a couple months ago, she got a text message from an unknown number,” Otto said. “That message said, ‘I got a new girlfriend and she's way better than you would ever be.’”
“She calls the sheriff’s office and says, ‘I think Ricky sent me this message, I've got a protection order’” Otto said. “They went out to talk to Ricky and he said he didn’t send it. But then, after the police leave, the victim gets another message from the same number that says, ‘nice try… that cop believed me over you’ confirming that the message had come from Rizzato.”
Otto says she’s happy to have been able to obtain justice for a victim in court.
“It was very satisfying to have the hard work pay off,” Otto said. “We had a victim who was traumatized by these ongoing problems, and it was wonderful to be able to get a conviction that hopefully will help her feel safer.”
Before joining the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office, Otto was a defense attorney.
“I've been an attorney since 2013, and have been working as a defense attorney,” Otto said. “I did appointed counsel cases and private cases in Muskingum County, Franklin County, and other counties. I also worked as a public defender in Pickaway County.
Otto says what she enjoys most about being an assistant prosecutor is the challenge of understanding cases from all angles.
“I like figuring out a case,” Otto said. “I like getting the evidence, going through it, and trying to figure out what it means. That’s fun for me. I like the variety; that's part of what makes criminal law really interesting.”
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