State ex rel. Hattery v. Columbus

28 Ohio Law. Abs. 523
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 2, 1938
DocketNo 2590
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 28 Ohio Law. Abs. 523 (State ex rel. Hattery v. Columbus) 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. Hattery v. Columbus, 28 Ohio Law. Abs. 523 (Ohio Ct. App. 1938).

Opinions

OPINION

By BARNES, PJ.

This is an original action in mandamus.

Plaintiff prays for a mandatory writ to be issued against the defendants ordering and directing that plaintiff be reinstated to his position of patrolman in the police department of the city of Columbus and that he may have the appropriate order directing the defendants and the duly authorized officers of the city to issue to this plaintiff a voucher for the amount which may be found due and directing the defendant, Samuel J. Willis, City Auditor, to deliver to the relator a warrant on the treasury of said city for the amount so found due.

The issues between the parties are drawn through plaintiff’s petition, joint answer of defendants and plaintiff’s reply.

Plaintiff’s petition, among other things, alleges, in substance, the following:

For eight years prior to September 26, 1933, relator was a patrolman within the city of Columbus, Ohio; that his position as patrolman was under the classified civil service of the city of Columbus.

On September 27, 1933, he was suspended by Chief of Police, Fred F. Kundts, and a hearing upon such suspension was heard by Curtis C. Williams, who was then Director of Public Safety, the latter being succeeded by Winfield S. Pealer. Plaintiff further alleges that within ten days thereafter, he filed an appeal to the Civil Service Commission of Columbus, Ohio; that a hearing was held thereunder and on the 6th day of November, 1933, said commission sustained said order of the Director of Public Safety and said plaintiff was dismissed as of September 27, 1933. It is further alleged in the petition that said proceedings were illegal and contrary to law; that no charges as contemplated at law were filed against the plaintiff; that such complaints as were filed against this plaintiff upon which said proceedings were predicated, were illegal and insufficient in law and that the evidence did not sustain even the charge alleged and that this plaintiff was wrongfully and illegally dismissed. And further, said defendant, Director of Public Safety and the said Civil Service Comipis[525]*525Sion unjustly discriminated against plaintiff m tne .following manner, po-wit:

That the only complaint made against the plaintiff of record upon which said suspension was predicated and sustained was that he, while on duty, bad attempted to make an engagement with a woman, wbo was married and the testimony disclosed the only claim made was that he attempted to make an engagement with a woman; plaintiff averring that he did not know whether the woman was married or single and had not insulted her and that there had heen no immoral conduct proven; that after the hearing before the Director, the Director stated he did not know what to do and asked the plaintiff a question, which' was not pending before the Director; the answer being unsatisfactory to the Director, he thereupon dismissed him and it was this action of the Director that was sustained by the commission. The petition further alleges that in other like cases a less severe penalty has been imposed.

The joint answer of the defendants admits relator’s appointment as patrolman as a civil service appointee and his discharge on September 27, 1933, as alleged. The answer also admits the appeal to the Civil Service Commission of Columbus, Ohio, where the order of dismissal by the Director of Public Safety was sustained. The answer contains a general denial of all the allegations of the petition except those specifically denied and then avers the following:

■ “On or about September -26, 1933, relator’s superior, Pearl Boggs, Captain of Police, relieved relator from duty and filed With Fred F. Kundts, Chief of Police, the following written statement of reasons, to-wit:

“ ‘Charge 1. Conduct unbecoming an officer, in violation of Par. 3-S of Chapter 2 of the Book of Rules for the Government of the Division pf Police.

“ ‘Specifications: In that Patrolman William S. Hattery, while on duty and in uniform, did loit.er in a public place, did mingle with persons there assembled, and did force his presence and attention upon the wife of one of the patrons of the place, making undue advances towards this woman.’ “that on or about September 27, 1933, upon receipt of the charge and specification hereinabove set forth, Fred F. Kundts, Chief of Police, suspended relator from all duty in the Division of Police, basing his action on the charge and specification hereinabove set forth, and filed a written copy of .the ■same with Curtis C. 'VViiliams, the Director of Public Safety of the City of Columbus; that on September 30 1933, at about 10:00 A. M., hearing upon the charge and specification her.einabove set forth was had before said Director of Public Safety, at which hearing evidence was presented in support of said charge and specification and also on behalf of relatpr; that at the conclusion of said hearing decision wag deferred until October 3, 1933, at which time the Director of Public Safety found the relator guilty as charged and ordered relator dismissed from his position; that thereafter on or about October 25, 1933, hearing was had on appeal before the Civil Service Commission of the City of Columbus, Ohio, at which hearing witnesses were called on behalf of the Director of Public Safety and on behalf of relator, at the conclusion of which the matter was taken under advisement by the Commission until November 6, 1933, when the Municipal Civil Service Commission sustained the action of the Director of Public Safety in dismissing the relator as patrolman in the Division of Police, effective September 27, 1933.”

Plaintiff files an eight page reply in v/hich the averments of the answer as to the proceedings attending the complaint, hearing, discharge appeal, etc., are admitted.

Thereafter relator alleges that he was appointed' as patrolman from the classified list of the Civil Service 'mployees by the Director of Public Safety on June 22, 1.925, in pursuance of the authority provided by Section 100 pf the Charter of the City of Columbus, Ohio.

It is alleged that no complaint was made or filed by the Director of Public Safety, who alone, under Section 100 of the Charter of such city, was authorized to institute proceedings for discharge against a civil service employee in the police depart* ment. Furthermore, that no legal complaint was served upon relator and thereafter a reasonable time given to make explanation as provided under Rule 22 of the Civil Service Commission.

The reply refers to and quotes from various sections of the charter of the city of Cplumbus and also pertinent rules promulgated by the Civil. Service Commission of the city under authority of Section 149 of the City Charter. ,

The reply also complains that the Director of Public Safety in considering the complaint made by. Captain Boggs, a superior pf Hattery did not confine his inquiry to the- .specific allegations .. conla nffd in . the .charge, but on the contrary based his ac[526]*526tion on matters outside the specified complaint.

' It is also alleged in the answer that the only charges or statements involving the relator filed with the Civil Service Commission on relator’s appeal were the charges filed by the Chief of Police. The answer also questions the constitutionality of the charter provisions relating to Civil Service provisions and likewise questions the legality of the rules and regulations enacted by the City Civil Service Commission relating to suspension or discharge of a civil service employee.

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Related

State Ex Rel. Marshall v. Civil Service Commission
228 N.E.2d 913 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
28 Ohio Law. Abs. 523, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-hattery-v-columbus-ohioctapp-1938.