Bridges v. Black

2023 Ohio 3830

• Court: Ohio Court of Appeals
• Decided: October 23, 2023
• Docket: 23CA012019
• Status: Published

Opinion

[Cite as Bridges v. Black, 2023-Ohio-3830.]

STATE OF OHIO ) IN THE COURT OF APPEALS )ss: NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COUNTY OF LORAIN )

JOEL BRIDGES C.A. No. 23CA012019 Petitioner

v. ORIGINAL ACTION IN JENNIFER BLACK, WARDEN HABEAS CORPUS

Respondent

Dated: October 23, 2023

PER CURIAM.

{¶1} Petitioner Joel Bridges has filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus asking this

Court to order Respondent, Warden Jennifer Black, to release him from custody. Respondent

has moved to dismiss, arguing that Mr. Bridges failed to comply with the requirements of R.C.

2969.25 when filing his petition. Because Mr. Bridges failed to comply with the mandatory

requirements of R.C. 2969.25, the motion to dismiss is granted.

{¶2} R.C. 2969.25 sets forth specific filing requirements for inmates who file a civil

action against a government employee or entity. Warden Black is a government employee and

Mr. Bridges, incarcerated in the Lorain Correctional Institution, is an inmate. R.C. 2969.21(C)

and (D). A case must be dismissed if the inmate fails to comply with the mandatory requirements

of R.C. 2969.25 in the commencement of the action. State ex rel. Graham v. Findlay Mun. Court,

106 Ohio St.3d 63, 2005-Ohio-3671, ¶ 6 (“The requirements of R.C. 2969.25 are mandatory, and C.A. No. 23CA012019 Page 2 of 3

failure to comply with them subjects an inmate’s action to dismissal.”). Mr. Bridges failed to

comply with these requirements.

{¶3} Mr. Bridges moved for a waiver of the prepayment of the cost deposit. An inmate

seeking waiver of filing fees must file an affidavit of indigency. The affidavit must include,

among other things, “[a] statement that sets forth the balance in the inmate account of the inmate

for each of the preceding six months, as certified by the institutional cashier[.]” R.C.

2969.25(C)(1). The Ohio Supreme Court has construed these words strictly: an affidavit that

“does not include a statement setting forth the balance in [an] inmate account for each of the

preceding six months” fails to comply with R.C. 2969.25(C)(1). (emphasis sic.) State ex rel.

Roden v. Ohio Dept. of Rehab. & Corr., 159 Ohio St.3d 314, 2020-Ohio-408, ¶ 6.

{¶4} Mr. Bridges’ affidavit only states that he did not have sufficient funds to pay the

filing fee. The combined form, presenting his affidavit of indigency and statement of his inmate

account, included a statement from the prison cashier. That statement provides a sixth month

average; it does not provide the balance in the inmate account for each of the six months

preceding his petition before this Court. “‘R.C. 2969.25(C) does not permit substantial

compliance[;]’” it requires strict adherence by the filing inmate. Id. at ¶ 8, citing State ex rel.

Neil v. French, 153 Ohio St.3d 271, 2018-Ohio-2692, ¶ 7. Therefore, Mr. Bridges’ affidavit does

not comply with the mandatory requirements of R.C. 2969.25(C)(1).

{¶5} Because Mr. Bridges did not comply with the mandatory requirements of R.C.

2969.25, the motion to dismiss is granted and this case is dismissed. C.A. No. 23CA012019 Page 3 of 3

{¶6} Costs are taxed to Mr. Bridges. The clerk of courts is hereby directed to serve

upon all parties not in default notice of this judgment and its date of entry upon the journal. See

Civ.R. 58.

JENNIFER L. HENSAL FOR THE COURT

STEVENSON, J. FLAGG LANZINGER, J. CONCUR.

APPEARANCES:

JOEL BRIDGES, Pro se, petitioner.

DAVE YOST, Ohio Attorney General, and KATHERINE E. MULLIN, Senior Assistant Attorney Attorney General, for Respondent.