Canfora v. Coiro, 2006-L-105 (5-11-2007)

2007 Ohio 2314
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 11, 2007
DocketNo. 2006-L-105.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2007 Ohio 2314 (Canfora v. Coiro, 2006-L-105 (5-11-2007)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Canfora v. Coiro, 2006-L-105 (5-11-2007), 2007 Ohio 2314 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION *Page 2
{¶ 1 Appellant, Mark Canfora, appeals from judgment entries of the Lake County Common Pleas Court. The judgment entries granted motions for summary judgment filed by defendants named in Canfora's lawsuit. Claims against one of the defendants, as well as counterclaims filed by the defendants, remain pending.

{¶ 2} On October 19, 2003, Canfora confronted Gary Coiro during Sunday church services concerning an adulterous relationship that Coiro was having with Canfora's wife, Dena Canfora. Also present was Canfora's 16-year-old son, Mark Canfora II. Coiro had presided at the church service and was the senior pastor of the Willo-Hill Baptist Church in Kirtland, Ohio.

{¶ 3} Canfora created a disturbance such that Ralph Dolence, chairman of the church board of trustees, made a 9-1-1 call to the Kirtland Police Department. Kirtland Police officers responded to the call. Mutual aid calls were placed by the Kirtland Police officers or the Department to the Lakeland Community College Police Department, the Willoughby Hills Police Department, and the Waite Hill Police Department, and officers from each of those departments responded.

{¶ 4} Canfora was forcibly removed from the church by one or more of the police officers present. He was arrested at the scene and charged with misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and resisting arrest. He was later charged with felony charges of breaking and entering and menacing by stalking, as well as misdemeanor charges of disrupting a lawful assembly and disorderly conduct. The felony charges were eventually dismissed as well as the misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. Canfora was tried by a jury in the Willoughby Municipal Court *Page 3 on the remaining misdemeanor charges of disrupting a lawful assembly and resisting arrest. The jury acquitted him of these charges in July 2004.

{¶ 5} Canfora's son was also charged in juvenile court. All charges against him were dismissed by the juvenile court magistrate.

{¶ 6} Canfora's first lawsuit was filed in Summit County on October 19, 2004. Following a motion for change of venue, that suit was transferred to Lake County, where Canfora dismissed it pursuant to Civ. R. 41(A).

{¶ 7} On June 27, 2005, Canfora refiled his complaint in the Lake County Common Pleas Court, naming 16 parties as defendants. Included as defendants were the three municipalities and their police departments that responded to the church; the individual officers who responded; Lakeland Community College and its police department and the officer who responded; and Willo-Hill Baptist Church, Pastor Coiro, and Dolence. This case was identified as case No. 05 CV 001509. Joining with him in the case was his son, Mark Canfora II, who subsequently died on July 12, 2005, and whose claim has been abated by death.

{¶ 8} Dena Canfora also filed a separate complaint against Gary Coiro and Willo-Hill Baptist Church in the Lake County Common Pleas Court. Her case was identified as case No. 05 CV 001916 and was consolidated with case No. 05 CV 001509, except that the trial court decided to bifurcate her case for trial purposes from that of Mark Canfora. Her case proceeded to a jury on April 3, 2006. The jury trial in her case resulted in defense verdicts for Coiro and Willo-Hill Baptist Church. No appeal has been pursued in case No. 05 CV 001916. *Page 4

{¶ 9} In the complaint in case No. 05 CV 0001509, Canfora asserted causes of action for false arrest and imprisonment; malicious prosecution; civil conspiracy; negligent hiring, retention, and training; and unconstitutional policies and practices.

{¶ 10} Answers denying liability were filed by the 16 named defendants. In addition, State Farm, the insurer for Willo-Hill Baptist Church, intervened as a party and filed an answer.

{¶ 11} Counterclaims for abuse of process were filed by Lakeland Community College, Officer Spotton of the Lakeland Community College Police Department, the Lakeland Community College Police Department, the city of Willoughby Hills, Officer Mullenax of the Willoughby Hills Police Department, and the Willoughby Hills Police Department.

{¶ 12} Motions for summary judgment were filed by all defendants, save for State Farm. On February 7, 2006, the trial court entered summary judgment in favor of the village of Waite Hill and the Waite Hill Police Department. No appeal has been taken from that judgment entry.

{¶ 13} In the first judgment entry being appealed by Canfora, dated March 30, 2006, the trial court dismissed the Lakeland Community College Police Department, because it was not an entity capable of being sued. It entered summary judgment in favor of Lakeland Community College on the basis of sovereign immunity. It also entered summary judgment in favor of Willo-Hill and Dolence on Canfora's claims for malicious prosecution and false arrest. It denied summary judgment to Willo-Hill and Dolence on Canfora's claims for civil conspiracy and loss of consortium. It also stated that the counterclaims remained pending. *Page 5

{¶ 14} The trial court then granted leave to Willo-Hill and Dolence to file an additional motion for summary judgment with respect to Canfora's claim for civil conspiracy.

{¶ 15} The next judgment entry being appealed by Canfora is dated May 3, 2006. In this judgment entry the trial court dismissed the Kirtland Police Department, because it is not an entity that is capable of being sued. It entered summary judgment in favor of the city of Kirtland on the basis of sovereign immunity. It entered summary judgment in favor of all the police officers who responded to the 9-1-1 call and dismissed them from the lawsuit. It also entered summary judgment in favor of Willo-Hill and Dolence with respect to Canfora's civil conspiracy claim. Though the trial court did not specifically mention the loss of consortium claim against Willo-Hill and Dolence in dismissing this final claim against them, as it did in its March 30, 2006 judgment entry, by implication this claim was dismissed as it is derivative of a legally cognizable tort, and after this judgment entry no legally cognizable tort claim remains against Willo-Hill and Dolence.1 Finally, it entered summary judgment in favor of Coiro on the civil conspiracy claim against him, but it denied summary judgment for the false arrest and malicious prosecution claims against Coiro. It also stated that all counterclaims remain pending.

{¶ 16} The next judgment entry being appealed by Canfora was entered on May 8, 2006. This judgment entry was a restatement of the May 3, 2006 judgment entry, with additional language in deference to Civ. R. 54(B) that "there is no just cause for delay" and that all matters are stayed pending appeal. *Page 6

{¶ 17} Canfora timely appeals from the judgment entries of March 30, 2006, May 3, 2006, and May 8, 2006.

{¶ 18}

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Bluebook (online)
2007 Ohio 2314, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/canfora-v-coiro-2006-l-105-5-11-2007-ohioctapp-2007.