State, Ex Rel. Burton v. Smith

194 N.E.2d 70, 118 Ohio App. 248, 25 Ohio Op. 2d 90, 1962 Ohio App. LEXIS 560
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 14, 1962
Docket735
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 194 N.E.2d 70 (State, Ex Rel. Burton v. Smith) 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. Burton v. Smith, 194 N.E.2d 70, 118 Ohio App. 248, 25 Ohio Op. 2d 90, 1962 Ohio App. LEXIS 560 (Ohio Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

Fess, J.

The relator, Everett Burton, Prosecuting Attorney of Scioto County, brings this original action in mandamus in this court against the respondent common pleas judges of Scioto County, seeking, in effect, to compel respondents to refrain from selecting talesmen as substitutes for prospective grand jurors previously drawn from the jury wheel from among ballots prepared from the annual jury list set forth in a venire issued to the sheriff therefor but before the grand jury has been empaneled and sworn. Relator has also brought a companion action in prohibition against respondents, seeking similar relief, which has been continued for trial pending disposition of the mandamus action. No complaint is made regarding respondent Thompson who is a nominal respondent joining in the prayer for relief.

In his amended petition relator prays that a writ of mandamus issue to the respondents, commanding them to cause all future members of grand jury panels to be drawn from those *250 persons whose names are contained in the annual jury list and from ballots deposited in the jury wheel, in accordance with the above petition, and that the same be served with notice by the sheriff as provided by law, and for such other further orders and relief in the premises as the nature of the case may require.

At the outset we are confronted with the problem as to whether the relator has selected the proper extraordinary remedy. Essentially, relator seeks to enjoin the respondent Smith from alleged ultra vires conduct in the future. The Court of Appeals has no original jurisdiction in injunction. It does have original jurisdiction in quo warranto, mandamus, habeas corpus, prohibition and procedendo. This original jurisdiction is derived directly from Section 6 of Article IV of the Constitution and may not be limited by statute.

Mandamus is of ancient origin in the English common law, originating in the courts — not the Legislature. State, ex rel. Moyer, v. Baldwin, 77 Ohio St., 532. Under the common law, as restated in Section 2731.01, Revised Code, mandamus is a writ issued in the name of the state to an inferior tribunal commanding the performance of an act which the law specially enjoins as a duty resulting from an office, trust or station. State, ex rel. Selected Properties, Inc., v. Gottfried, 163 Ohio St., 469.

The contrast between mandamus and injunction is that the latter is a remedy in equity while the former is a remedy at law. The primary function of an injunction is to restrain motion and to enforce inaction, while the purpose of mandamus is to set in motion and to compel action. And an injunction ordinarily is employed to prevent future injury, while the purpose of mandamus is to redress past grievances and compel the performance of acts in praesenti. State, ex rel. Selected Properties, Inc., v. Gottfried, supra. But this does not necessarily mean that relief, injunctive in character, may not be had in mandamus under an ancillary prayer for other and further relief in the premises as the nature of the case may require. Basically, a mandamus proceeding is regarded as an action at law, as distinguished from an action or proceeding in equity, but, nevertheless, its issuance is largely controlled by equitable principles, and the writ may be refused for reasons comparable to those which would lead a court of equity, in the exercise of its sound discretion, to withhold its protection of an undoubted legal right. State, ex rel. Commercial

*251 Investors Corp., v. Curry, 50 Ohio App., 245; State, ex rel. Beane, Dir. of Law, v. Krebs et al., City Comm., 75 Ohio App., 427. And in mandamus the court will shape its judgment according to the equity of the case and grant any relief warranted by the allegations of the petition. State, ex rel. Masters, v. Beamer, infra, and State, ex rel. Blackwell, v. Bachrach, infra. And while mandamus will not issue to control the discretion of an inferior court, it will issue to correct an abuse of such discretion if there is no other adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law. If the action of a court or judge in a matter calling for the exercise of discretion is such as to amount to an abuse of discretion and to manifest a disregard of duty, thus being without semblance of legal power, and it appears that there is no remedy by appeal, or that such remedy, if existing, is entirely inadequate and the exigency is such as to justify the interposition of the extraordinary superintending power of the higher court, mandamus will issue to compel the specific action which should have been taken. Thus, the lower court or judge may be compelled to act in a particular way when the facts are not in dispute and the court has come to a wrong conclusion of law therefrom, or disregarded a duty expressly enjoined by the law under the undisputed facts; and the question whether an inferior tribunal has acted within the scope of its authority may generally be determined in mandamus. 35 Ohio Jurisprudence (2d), 375, Section 98; 35 American Jurisprudence, 31, Mandamus, Section 259.

Where the allegations of a petition for an extraordinary writ are sufficient to warrant the general relief sought, the title as well as the form of the prayer is immaterial, and, where the prayer is for general relief, the court may grant any relief warranted by the allegations of the petition. Thus, a petition in quo warranto has been treated as one in mandamus and relief granted accordingly. State, ex rel. Keyser, v. Babst, 101 Ohio St., 275. See, also, State, ex rel. Masters, v. Beamer et al., Bd. of Edn., 109 Ohio St., 133, stating (p. 151): “Under a prayer for general relief [in mandamus], the court will shape its decree according to the equity of the case, and, properly speaking, will grant any relief warranted by the allegations of the bill.” See, also, State, ex rel. Blackwell, a Taxpayer, v. Bachrach et al., City Council, 166 Ohio St., 301, holding:

*252 “Where the allegations of a petition are sufficient to warrant the general relief sought, the form of the prayer is immaterial, and where the prayer is for general relief the court will shape its judgment according to the equity of the case and grant any relief warranted by the allegations of the petition. ’ ’

With regard to the extraordinary remedy of prohibition, causes of action for writs of prohibition and mandamus have been joined in the same petition, and such joinder may be considered proper where the circumstances and relief sought are such that the two remedies are complementary. 44 Ohio Jurisprudence (2d), 228, Prohibition, Section 38, and authorities there cited.

In the light of the foregoing, it is therefore concluded that in the event we should find that the relator has sustained the allegations of his petition, this court will shape its judgment according to the equity of the case and grant the relief warranted by the allegations of the petition.

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194 N.E.2d 70, 118 Ohio App. 248, 25 Ohio Op. 2d 90, 1962 Ohio App. LEXIS 560, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-burton-v-smith-ohioctapp-1962.