State ex rel. Baxter v. Maschari

6 Ohio App. Unrep. 180
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 31, 1990
DocketCase No. E-89-60
StatusPublished

This text of 6 Ohio App. Unrep. 180 (State ex rel. Baxter v. Maschari) 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
State ex rel. Baxter v. Maschari, 6 Ohio App. Unrep. 180 (Ohio Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

ABOOD, J.

This cause is before the court on a complaint in mandamus filed by relator, Kevin J. Baxter, the Erie County Prosecuting Attorney, against respondent, The Honorable Ann B. Maschari, Judge of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas.

The facts giving rise to this complaint are as follows. On December 8, 1989, relator filed a complaint in mandamus in which he alleged that on September 13, 1989, he had filed a motion which requested respondent to provide, him with a complete transcript of the testimony given before the Erie Couniy Grand Jury on August 24, 1989, in the case of State v. Lentz, Erie County Common Pleas Court case No. 89-CR-299, and that respondent had failed to rule on that motion.

Relator alleged further in his complaint that on September 13,1989, he also filed a motion "to provide grand jury transcript to prosecutor without providing transcript to defendant unless in accordance with law" and that on November 3, 1989, respondent denied that motion, stating in its entry that:

"A transcript of the special grand jury proceedings, convened in the above-captioned matter on August 24, 1989, shall be made by a reporter authorized by the Court. Said transcript shall be submitted to the Court when completed and be available to counsel for an in camera inspection as needed." (A copy of this order is attached hereto and designated Appendix A).

Relator asserted in his complaint that respondent is required by R.C.2939.11 and Crim. R. 6(E) to provide him with a transcriptof the grand jury proceedings and that the refusal to do so constitutes a violation of a duty specifically provided for by law. Relator requested that a writ of mandamus be issued directing respondent to order that a copy of the transcript be made available to him.

On January 18,1990, relator filed an amended complaint in mandamus. In his amended complaint relator alleged that on January 19, 1988, respondent had issued the following order concerning the recording, transcription, and release of the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings:

"Pursuant to Crim.R. 6 and C.P. Sup. R. 10, all Grand Jury proceedings, with the exception of deliberations and voting, shall be electronically recorded. Such record shall not be disclosed unless so directed by the Court.

"This order is effective immediately and shall continue until further order of this Court." (A copy of this order is attached hereto and designated Appendix B.)

Relator then reiterated his allegations as set forth in his original complaint in mandamus adding an additional allegation that respondent had released the entire grand jury transcript to counsel for defendant in State v. Lentz, without first requiring defendant to show a "particularized need" for the transcript, by its entry of December 22,1989, which stated as follows:

"Pursuant to previous order of this Court, filed December 15,1989, a copy of the transcript of the grand jury proceedings of August 24,1989, has been furnished to Counsel for the State and the Defendant.

"Counsel shall acknowledge below receipt of said transcript.

"Counsel shall forthwith pay the court reporter; Marcia L. Rotsinger, in compliance with rule 13.02 of the Erie County Rules of Practice The reporter's fee shall be borne equally by both parties." (A copy of this order is attached hereto and designated Appendix C.)

Relator alleged further in the amended complaint that respondent is mandated to conduct a hearing to determine if there exists a particularized need before releasing a grand jury transcript or a portion thereof to a criminal defendant or his counsel. Relator requested that this court issue a writ of mandamus directing respondent to provide relator with a complete transcript of any grand jury proceeding at a reasonable time after the adjournment of the grand jury session and to conduct a hearing to establish whether or not a particularized need exists on a case by case basis before releasing the transcript or a portion thereof to a defendant or his counsel.

On January 18, 1990, respondent filed her answer to relator's amended complaint in mandamus stating that relator has a plain and adequate remedy at law, that the complaint did not state a cause of action against her and that pursuant to Crim. R. 6 relator may obtain a transcript of the grand jury proceedings for use in the performance of his duties directly from the stenographer without any intervention of the court and that the transcript sought by relator has been available to him since December 22, 1989, in respondent's chambers, but he refuses to collect it.

[182]*182On March 5, 1990, relator filed his second amended complaint in mandamus in which he reiterated, in counts one and two, the allegations contained in his first two complaints for mandamus. In addition, relator alleges in the third count of this complaint that, pursuant to R.C. Chapter 2939 and Crim. R. 6, he has the duty and authorization to conduct the grand jury proceedings after the grand jury has been summoned by the common pleas court. Relator alleges further that respondent has attempted to assert control over the grand jury proceedings by failing to make the grand jury transcripts available to him, by dismissing grand juries that are scheduled when the relator is ready to proceed, by requiring that she personally dismiss the grand jurors at the end of each session, by requiring that she sign the foreman's report of the grand jury and by questioning the authority of relator to substitute alternate grand jurors during sessionswhen a grand juror has a conflict on a specific casa In support of these allegations relator submits with his complaint, his own affidavit and the affidavit of Robert M. Moore, an assistantprosecuting attorney.

In the second amended complaint relator requests that a writ of mandamus be issued directing that he have control and custody of the tape recordings of the Erie County Grand Jury, that the official reporter of the Erie County Grand Jury be independent of the court of common pleas, that once the grand jury is summoned by the Common Pleas Court if a courtroom is unavailable for grand jury sessions relator may secure an alternate meeting place in Sandusky, Ohio, that relator shall schedule the date and time for the grand jury to meet, that the grand jury may be dismissed at the discretion of the relator, that relator not be required to seek the permission of the court to have alternative grand jurors replace a grand juror prior to an indictment vote if that juror is found to be unable or disqualified to perform his or her duty and that the court be required to establish whether or not a particularized need exists on a case by case basis before a grand jury transcript or a portion thereof is provided to a defendant or counsel for that defendant.

On March 5,1990, relator filed a motion for a temporary restraining order or in the alternative for temporary relief requesting this court to take immediate action and issue an order restraining and restricting respondent's involvement and invasion into the grand jury process which motion was denied by this court.

On April 2, 1990, respondent filed her answer to relator's second amended complaint stating that the complaint does not state a cause of action against her, that relator has a plain and adequate remedy at law, that disclosure of matters other than the deliberations of the grand jury and the vote of any grand juror may be made to relator for use in the performance of his duties pursuant to R.C. 2939.11 and Crim. R.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Moultrie
340 A.2d 828 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1975)
State v. Patterson
277 N.E.2d 201 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1971)
State ex rel. Westchester Estates, Inc. v. Bacon
399 N.E.2d 81 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1980)
State ex rel. Butler v. Demis
420 N.E.2d 116 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1981)
State v. Greer
420 N.E.2d 982 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1981)
State ex rel. Shoop v. Mitrovich
448 N.E.2d 800 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1983)
State ex rel. Liberty Mills, Inc. v. Locker
488 N.E.2d 883 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1986)
State v. Grewell
543 N.E.2d 93 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 Ohio App. Unrep. 180, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-baxter-v-maschari-ohioctapp-1990.