Supreme Court of Ohio Decisions 2024

Justia Opinion Summary: A newspaper, Copley Ohio Newspapers, Inc., doing business as Akron Beacon Journal, made several public-records requests to the City of Akron and the Akron Police Department in 2022. The requests sought records…

Justia Opinion Summary: Roberta Schlegel experienced flooding in her basement after a portion of a roadway near her home collapsed, causing debris to block a drainage culvert. Schlegel sued Summit County for the flood damage, alleging…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City of Rittman filed an original action in prohibition against Judge Corey E. Spitler of the Wayne County Common Pleas Court. Rittman sought to prevent Judge Spitler from exercising jurisdiction over a class-action…

Justia Opinion Summary: George Martens filed a complaint in the Third District Court of Appeals for a writ of mandamus against various judges and courts in Hancock County, alleging that they lacked jurisdiction to decide certain tax cases.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Claudia Kennedy, as the executor of Donald R. Gerres's estate, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Western Reserve Senior Care and Dr. Sataya Acharya, among others, alleging that substandard medical…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Patricia A. Heilman, the surviving spouse of Arthur J. Heilman, who died from an industrial accident. Patricia Heilman sought scheduled-loss compensation under Ohio law, claiming her husband had lost…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City of Obetz initiated a mandamus and prohibition action against Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano and Franklin County Treasurer Cheryl Brooks Sullivan. The dispute arose from a tax-increment-financing (TIF)…

Justia Opinion Summary: Christopher R. Hicks submitted a public-records request to the Union Township, Clermont County Board of Trustees, seeking email- and mail-distribution lists for the township's newsletter. The township denied the request,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between Ohio Edison Company and the Corder family over the use of herbicides on property subject to easements held by Ohio Edison. The easements, granted in 1948, allow Ohio Edison to maintain…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the termination of a police chief, Erica Barga, by the Village Council of St. Paris. Barga was placed on administrative leave by the mayor, who filed charges against her for insubordination and neglect…

Justia Opinion Summary: Tommy Glover committed a series of armed robberies and kidnappings in May and June 2020, resulting in his convictions for 11 first-degree felonies and six gun specifications. Glover's crimes involved holding victims at…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a group of relators seeking to place a proposed constitutional amendment titled "Ohio Voters Bill of Rights" before Ohio voters. The relators submitted the text and a summary of their proposed amendment…

Justia Opinion Summary: Two men opened fire at a party, killing one person and wounding eight others. James Echols was identified as one of the shooters. While in jail awaiting trial, Echols allegedly threatened the State’s principal witness…

Justia Opinion Summary: A man named Alonzo Kyles was indicted for animal cruelty after police found a cat soaked in bleach in an apartment building's basement stairwell. Kyles admitted to pouring bleach to scare the cat away because he was…

Justia Opinion Summary: A juvenile court judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, presided over the trial of a thirteen-year-old accused of felonious assault. The judge found the juvenile not delinquent and sealed the case record under Ohio Revised Code…

Justia Opinion Summary: A property developer settled claims with the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and sought to assert a state-law claim for contribution against other companies involved in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a group of relators seeking a writ of mandamus to compel the Lorain County Board of Elections to place a zoning-amendment referendum on the November 5, 2024, general-election ballot. The relators had…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Ohio Democratic Party and two voters, Norman Wernet and Eric Duffy, who filed a mandamus action against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. They sought to compel LaRose to rescind Directive…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the relator, Marcell Strbich, sought a writ of mandamus against the Montgomery County Board of Elections and its members. Strbich claimed that the board failed to provide proper training to precinct…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plain-clothes detectives from the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force observed Terrance Cunningham, a known suspected drug trafficker, driving a minivan. They relayed this information to Detective Benjamin Martens,…

Justia Opinion Summary: A police officer stopped a car because the car’s owner had a suspended driver’s license. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer realized the driver was not the owner but asked the driver for his license anyway. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Mark Gasper was indicted on seven counts of rape under Ohio law, specifically for engaging in sexual conduct with a person whose ability to resist or consent was substantially impaired due to a mental or physical…

Justia Opinion Summary: Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc. applied to the Ohio Power Siting Board for approval to construct a 3.7-mile natural-gas-distribution pipeline in Maumee, Ohio. The application was submitted under an accelerated review process…

Justia Opinion Summary: In November 1991, a ten-year-old child was kidnapped from her home in Harrison, Ohio, and her body was found days later in Bright, Indiana. Jeffrey Wogenstahl was convicted in 1993 of kidnapping and murdering the child…

Justia Opinion Summary: A group of landowners challenged the Ohio Tax Commissioner’s decision to set a woodland-clearing-cost rate of $1,000 per acre for the purpose of calculating the current agricultural use valuation (CAUV) of their…

Justia Opinion Summary: The appellant, Mario D. Mays, was charged with multiple offenses, including violating a protection order under Ohio Revised Code (R.C.) 2919.27(A) and (B), a fifth-degree felony. The trial evidence showed that Mays had a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Imposters, Ltd., a performing-arts theater in Cleveland, sought to place a local liquor option on the November 5, 2024, general-election ballot. The theater holds D-1 and D-2 permits allowing the sale of beer and mixed…

Justia Opinion Summary: A proposed constitutional amendment in Ohio seeks to repeal Articles XI and XIX of the Ohio Constitution and add Article XX, changing the standards and procedures for drawing electoral districts. The amendment would…

Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2020, Sontez Sheckles was indicted in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court for attempted murder, felonious assault, and having a weapon while under a disability, stemming from an alleged shooting at a bar. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Shawn Valentine sought a writ of mandamus to compel the Lucas County Board of Elections to place a zoning referendum on the November 5, 2024, general-election ballot. The referendum concerned a zoning amendment approved…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a medical negligence claim brought by Janet Hild, the administrator of Scott Boldman's estate, against several medical professionals and entities, including Samaritan Health Partners and Good Samaritan…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Dean and Dave Cook filed a complaint with the Union County Board of Revision in February 2022, seeking an increase in the property valuation of an apartment complex owned by The Residence at Cooks Pointe,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The relator, Justin Tjaden, sought a writ of mandamus to have his name placed on the November 5, 2024, general-election ballot as an independent candidate for the office of state representative of Ohio House District 99.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Vanessa Wells, a parent in the Lakota Local Schools district, filed a public records request seeking legal documentation related to the district's superintendent, Matt Miller, from the law firm of Elizabeth Tuck. Wells…

Justia Opinion Summary: Alphonso Mobley Jr. requested public records from the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, specifically certified statements created under former R.C. 309.16 for 2016 through 2020 and the office’s records-retention…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1976, Prince Charles Cotten Sr. was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to death. The conviction included specifications for killing a police officer while attempting to escape apprehension. Following the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ronald Goldschmidt appealed the dismissal of his prohibition claim against Judge Alan Triggs and Magistrate Thomas Beridon of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. Goldschmidt argued that Magistrate Beridon exceeded…

Justia Opinion Summary: Moraine Wind, L.L.C. and other out-of-state wind farms applied to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) for certification as eligible Ohio renewable-energy-resource-generating facilities. Carbon Solutions Group,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The administrator of a deceased woman’s estate filed a complaint alleging medical malpractice and wrongful death against a doctor, the doctor’s employer, a hospital, and Medicare. The doctor and his employer included the…

Justia Opinion Summary: A pipeline running through 13 Ohio counties was valued by the Ohio Tax Commissioner at $1,620,358,699 for tax year 2019. The pipeline's owner, Nexus Gas Transmission, L.L.C., appealed this valuation to the Board of Tax…

Justia Opinion Summary: Christopher Hildebrant, a real-estate developer, facilitated a property sale in 2011 and expected consulting fees from both the seller and the buyer. During the transaction, Hildebrant alleged that Thomas Weidman, a…

Justia Opinion Summary: A public children-services agency determined that an allegation of child abuse against Kelly D. Kyser was substantiated. Kyser challenged this finding through the agency’s administrative-review process, but her appeal…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jeffrey Harmon and David Beasley, longtime employees of the City of Cincinnati and members of a city-employees union, were placed on leave under a Temporary Emergency Leave (TEL) program implemented in April 2020 in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Ohio Power Company’s application for an increase in electric distribution rates. The key issue is whether the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) allowed Ohio Power to recover costs for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Shawn Jones, a teacher employed under a limited contract by the Kent City School District Board of Education, faced nonrenewal of his contract. The board was required by Ohio law (R.C. 3319.111(E)) to conduct three…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a public-records request submitted by David Armiak and the Center for Media and Democracy to the Ohio Attorney General. The request sought documents related to the Republican Attorneys General…

Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Berkheimer experienced severe medical issues after a chicken bone became lodged in his throat while eating a "boneless wing" at a restaurant. He sued the restaurant, its food supplier, and a chicken farm,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Michael Jones was convicted by a jury of ten drug-trafficking and drug-possession charges. Before the trial, Jones filed a motion to suppress evidence seized from a safe in a house, arguing that the consent to search was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a car accident in April 2017 between Ryan McCullough and Joseph Bennett, where McCullough alleged Bennett was at fault. McCullough initially filed a lawsuit on January 15, 2018, but it was dismissed…

Justia Opinion Summary: A mother, K.G., gave birth to twins in September 2020. Due to concerns about her mental health and ability to care for the children, Muskingum County Adult and Child Protective Services (the agency) took emergency…

Justia Opinion Summary: John H. Mack Jr., serving a life sentence for aggravated murder, filed a mandamus action to compel the Richland County Sheriff’s Office to produce records responsive to his public-records request. Mack also sought…

Justia Opinion Summary: An inmate at the Marion Correctional Institution, Willard McCarley, submitted a statement alleging sexual assault by a prison doctor. The institutional investigator found the allegation to be false and issued a conduct…

Justia Opinion Summary: Kimani E. Ware, currently incarcerated, filed a complaint for a writ of mandamus in the Fifth District Court of Appeals, seeking to compel the Stark County Prosecuting Attorney to produce records in response to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Stark County Board of Elections considered and voted to purchase Dominion Voting Systems equipment during four meetings. These discussions and decisions occurred in executive sessions, which are closed to the public.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Damien L. Peterson was convicted of multiple felonies in November 2019, stemming from four armed robberies in Cleveland. He was arrested by Shaker Heights Police in April 2019 and charged with aggravated robbery. His…

Justia Opinion Summary: The relator, Jumaane Scott, filed an action requesting a writ of mandamus to compel the Toledo Correctional Institution (TCI) to produce public records. Scott claimed that between April and July 2023, he made four…

Justia Opinion Summary: In April 2012, Arnold Black was arrested during a traffic stop by East Cleveland police officers without any legitimate reason. Detective Randy Hicks violently assaulted Black and detained him in a storage room for four…

Justia Opinion Summary: Brian M. Ames sought a writ of mandamus to compel the Three Rivers Local School District Records Commission to produce records in response to his public-records request. Ames requested meeting notification rules, meeting…

Justia Opinion Summary: Marc D. Curtis, an inmate at the North Central Correctional Complex, requested records from the Cleveland Municipal Court Clerk, Earle B. Turner, related to his criminal case. Curtis sought documents including arrest…

Justia Opinion Summary: A labor dispute arose between the City of Cleveland and the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (the union representing dispatch supervisors) over overtime scheduling. The dispute was submitted to arbitration, where…

Justia Opinion Summary: Kimani E. Ware filed a mandamus action under Ohio’s Public Records Act, seeking an order compelling John Pierce to produce certain public records and requesting statutory damages. Pierce is employed by Aramark…

Justia Opinion Summary: Elvin Maldonado was convicted in 2019 of multiple counts of felonious assault and discharging a firearm, with accompanying firearm specifications, and was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to register as a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a public-records request dispute between Kimani Ware and Glenn Booth, the public-information officer at the Trumbull Correctional Institution. Ware alleges that he personally handed over a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves East Ohio Gas Company, doing business as Dominion Energy Ohio ("Dominion"), and J. William Vigrass, individually and as executor of Virginia Vigrass’s estate. Dominion had requested access to Virginia's…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over a lease agreement between Tera, L.L.C., and Rice Drilling D, L.L.C., and Gulfport Energy Corporation. The lease granted Rice Drilling and Gulfport Energy certain mineral rights in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Andre M. Yeager, an inmate at the Richland Correctional Institution, represented himself in a trial where he was found guilty of grand theft, breaking and entering, and vandalism. He was sentenced to an aggregate prison…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Alphonso Mobley Jr., who filed a writ of mandamus against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, seeking a certified copy of a document in response to a public-records request. Mobley also sought…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around James E. Mitchell, an inmate serving a 160-year prison sentence for a 1994 conviction in Summit County, which is to be served consecutively to a 3- to 15-year prison sentence imposed for a June…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over child support between Deborah Belleville and David Ayers, who were married in 2006 and had three children. In July 2019, Belleville filed for divorce. At the time, both parties were…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Damon L. Taylor, who was charged with felony murder in the adult court after the juvenile court found probable cause to believe that Taylor was complicit in a murder. The adult court convicted Taylor of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Fadi Salem, who was convicted of third-degree-misdemeanor sexual imposition in February 2021. As per Ohio law, this conviction classified him as a Tier I sex offender, requiring him to register…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the appellant, Jeffery Woods, who filed a legal malpractice lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. The defendant in the lawsuit filed a motion to dismiss the suit. Woods then…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Deonta Boyd, an inmate at the Richland Correctional Institution, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to aggravated murder with a firearm specification, felonious assault, and aggravated burglary. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a workers' compensation claim filed by Billy J. Ottinger, who suffered a severe injury while working for B&B Wrecking & Excavating, Inc. Ottinger fell from a roof and landed on his legs,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute over workers' compensation. The appellant, Brian Caldwell, was injured while working for the appellee, Whirlpool Corporation. After a successful initial workers’ compensation claim,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Derrick Martre, who was arrested in May 2017 for domestic abuse and possession of sexually explicit images of children on his cellphone. The arrest was prompted by a police report filed by…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves appellant Marcus D. White's appeal against the Tenth District Court of Appeals’ judgment dismissing his complaint for a writ of mandamus or procedendo against appellee, Franklin County Common Pleas…

Justia Opinion Summary: Vandercar, L.L.C. entered into a $36 million purchase contract for the Millennium Hotel in Cincinnati and then assigned its interest in the hotel to the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority. The agreement…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Timothy Williams, who was 16 years old when he committed the offense in question. Williams rang the doorbell of Everett and Leslie Lawson's home, pretending to have been injured in a car…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a public-records request made by Randy Ludlow, a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch, to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Ludlow requested a digital spreadsheet copy of the Electronic Death…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves S.Y.C., who appealed the judgment of the Eighth District Court of Appeals dismissing her petition for writs of procedendo and mandamus against Judge Alison L. Floyd of the Cuyahoga County Court of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a divorce proceeding initiated by Jolene K. Makuch against John Makuch III in the Geauga County Common Pleas Court. Jolene represented herself, stating she could not afford representation. After the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a criminal defendant's right to confront the witnesses against him under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The defendant, Eli Carter, was found…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case centers on an appeal by the appellant, Gudonavon J. Taylor, who petitioned for a writ of prohibition against the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas (the trial court). Taylor argued that the trial court had…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio dealt with an appeal made by an inmate, Albert Townsend Sr., against the Eighth District Court of Appeals' decision denying his complaint for a writ of mandamus. Townsend was previously…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves James W. Jones, who was sentenced to an aggregate prison term of 60 months for offenses under three separate indictments. These convictions included trafficking marijuana, having weapons while under a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio reversed a decision by the Fifth District Court of Appeals concerning the right to a jury trial in a civil case. The case arose from a dispute between the Estate of Tomlinson and Mega Pool…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of Ohio, the relator, Kimani Ware, an inmate, sought a writ of mandamus to compel the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (“ODRC”), Trumbull Correctional Institution…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Ohio was called upon to interpret the definition of "motor vehicle" as it applied to the crime of aggravated vehicular assault. The defendant, Joshua Fork, was charged with multiple…

Justia Opinion Summary: Thomas E. Knuff Jr. was convicted on two counts of aggravated murder with death specifications for killing John Mann and Regina Capobianco. Knuff was released from prison and arranged to stay with Mann. After his…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Robert Plaza, a prisoner serving an indeterminate sentence, appealed the dismissal of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus by the Ninth District Court of Appeals. Plaza's petition related to the Adult…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case originates from the Supreme Court of Ohio and concerns a defendant, Tyler Wilson, who was charged with attempted murder and felonious assault. The charges stemmed from an altercation at a gas station where…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Ohio addressed the issue of the filing deadline for a petition for postconviction relief following a delayed appeal. The defendant was convicted of murder and other crimes, did not file…

Justia Opinion Summary: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio State University suspended in-person instruction, transitioned to virtual learning, restricted campus access, and provided limited refunds to students. Brooke Smith, a student…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over a public records request made by the relator, Thomas Clark, an inmate at Lebanon Correctional Institution. Clark sent a request to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Supreme Court of Ohio, the defendant was accused of setting up a fake car sale, during which he threatened two women with a gun and stole money. The defendant was convicted of robbing both women and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a worker's compensation claim by appellant, Loretta Dillon, against the Industrial Commission of Ohio and others. Dillon had received temporary-total-disability (TTD) compensation for a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio affirmed the defendant's convictions and death sentences for the aggravated murders of two individuals. The court found that the evidence was sufficient to convict the defendant of aggravated…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio denied a writ of mandamus brought by Kimani E. Ware, an inmate at the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI), against Lori Beggs, the manager of TCI's cashier’s office, and TCI itself. Ware had…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case in discussion was brought before the Supreme Court of Ohio and involved an inmate, Kimani E. Ware, who filed an original action in mandamus under Ohio’s Public Records Act, R.C. 149.43. Ware sought to compel the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Ohio considered whether a juvenile, T.D.S., knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his Miranda rights before providing statements to the police. The statements related to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio denied a request from Jeryne Peterson, the mayor of Buckeye Lake, for writs of prohibition and mandamus against the Licking County Board of Elections and its members, the Fairfield County Board…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio upheld the judgments of the Industrial Commission of Ohio and the Tenth District Court of Appeals, denying Laurie M. Walters's request for scheduled-loss compensation under R.C. 4123.57(B) for…

Justia Opinion Summary: In December 2019, a taxicab driver, Phillip Palmer, shot a heavily intoxicated passenger, Nicholas Young, following a dispute over cab fare. The incident escalated into a physical altercation at a gas station, where…

Justia Opinion Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ohio General Assembly passed a temporary law (H.B. 197) stating that for a limited time, Ohio workers would be taxed by the municipality that was their “principal place of work” rather…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio affirmed the decision of the lower court, granting a writ of mandamus to Cassens Corp., a self-insuring employer, against the Industrial Commission of Ohio. The case involved an employee, Luis…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case before the Supreme Court of Ohio, Dennis Schreiner petitioned for a writ of prohibition against the Erie County Board of Elections and its members. Schreiner sought to remove Steven Kraus, a candidate for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves appellant Soleiman Mobarak, who appealed the judgment of the Tenth District Court of Appeals dismissing his petition for a writ of mandamus against appellee, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio reversed the decision of the lower court in a case involving AWMS Water Solutions, L.L.C., et al. (AWMS) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). AWMS sought a writ of mandamus to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Cincinnati Enquirer sought a writ of mandamus to compel Andy Wilson, the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, to produce records related to the travel and expenses of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves an appeal by an inmate, Keith Walker, against the Third District Court of Appeals' dismissal of his request for a writ of mandamus. Walker had been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence in 2020,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the appellant, Eric Johnson, filed a third, untimely, and successive petition for postconviction relief based on an affidavit from the victim, James Keith, who recanted his identification of Johnson as the…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case pertains to a public records request made by Marcellus Gilreath to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and its director, Matt Damschroder. Gilreath sought access to specific records related…

Justia Opinion Summary: Alphonso Mobley Jr. filed an original action in mandamus under Ohio’s Public Records Act against Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa A. Powers, seeking records related to former R.C. 309.16 and a…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves an appeal from the Tenth District Court of Appeals of Ohio. The appellant is the State of Ohio, represented by the Attorney General, and the appellees are FirstEnergy Corporation, Samuel Randazzo, and…