State ex rel. Henry v. Civil Service Commission

33 Ohio Law. Abs. 469, 19 Ohio Op. 545, 1941 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 300
CourtCuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
DecidedFebruary 13, 1941
DocketNo 492615
StatusPublished

This text of 33 Ohio Law. Abs. 469 (State ex rel. Henry v. Civil Service Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Henry v. Civil Service Commission, 33 Ohio Law. Abs. 469, 19 Ohio Op. 545, 1941 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 300 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1941).

Opinion

OPINION

By MERRICK, J.

In the within action in mandamus, relators are the clerk of the Municipal Court of Cleveland and two persons whom he had appointed and designated as his private secretary and personal stenographer, respectively. Members of the Cleveland Civil Service Commission and the treasurer of the city of Cleveland are respondents.

This opinion will discuss principally, the action of relators against the respondent commissioners referred to herein as respondents, and at the end of this opinion will very briefly discuss the action of relators against the respondent, the city treasurer.

Relators complain that respondents refuse to approve the two appointments and designations, and urge upon the court that such appointments and designations are outside-the jurisdiction or supervision of respondents.

The uncontradicted facts and ' evidence show that on September 6. 1939, relator, the clerk of the Municipal Court of Cleveland, appointed relator Ralph Henry as his private secretary and relator John Polking as his personal stenographer and so notified the Civil Service Commission, and that upon the same day said relator appointees entered upon and performed the duties of private secretary and personal -stenographer respectively and have continued to do so up to the present time; that on October 2, 1939, respondent commissioners disapproved said appointments and refused to certify that; portion of each succeeding payroll containing the names of the two appointees.

Relators pray' that a writ of mandamus issue requiring (1) the respondent commissioners to approve the appointments and (2) the respondent treasurer to pay the two appointees for the services rendered at the rate set forth in the payrolls.

Respondents plead four special and affirmative defenses as follows:

1. That there is a misjoinder of parties and causes.

2. That the petition fails to state a cause of action.

3. That the appointees are in truth and in fact such deputy clerks as are in the classified service pursuant to §1579-46 GC.

3a. That §1579-41 GC is invalid, void and unconstitutional and appointments thereunder are null and void.

4. That the city charter of the city of Cleveland (Sections 135 and 141) is controlling and that such appointments must be made in accordance with the civil service provisions of such charter.

The question of misjoinder of parties will be discussed briefly at the end of this opinion and disposed of therein! This court is of the opinion that the petition adequately states a cause of action against the respondent commissioners.

Coming now to a discussion of the defense styled No. 3 above, this court has heard the uncontradicted evidence and concludes that the appointee relators are performing the duties of private secretary and stenographer respec[471]*471tively and are not deputy clerks performing classified services as such.

The defenses styled 3a and 4, above, question the right of the legislature to enact laws empowering the clerk of the Municipal Court to appoint one private secretary and personal stenographer. These sections became effective the day of the. appointments in question and so far as is necessary for a discussion of this case read, in part, as follows:

Sec. 1579-41 GC. Powers and duties of clerk.

“The clerk of the (Cleveland) Municipal Court * * * as to the selection of the deputy clerks he shall have power to appoint a chief deputy, one private secretary and one personal stenographer only. All other deputies and assistants shall be appointed or selected by him as hereinafter provided * * V’

Sec. 1579-46 GC. Classified Civil Service. * * *

“Excepting the clerk and the chief deputy clerk, and one private secretary and one personal stenographer to the clerk * all deputy clerks * * * shall be in the civil service of the city of Cleveland, subject to the provisions of the laws of the state applying to said classified service * *

These sections were amended' by the legislature as indicated above to exempt the personal stenographic and private secretary to the clerk from civil service, classification. These additional exemptions became effective on the jdate of the appointments of relator apIpointees. Counsel for respondents '.complains in his brief of the activity of jthe relator clerk in securing this enactment and likewise complains that an unsuspecting General Assembly proved accommodating to a desire on the part of the clerk to have the statutes amended to permit such appointments.

Counsel for respondents likewise “wonders with considerable misgivings” why the Supreme Court of Ohio made certain decisions. This court can only sav that lawyers and laymen may criticize and disagree with legislative bodies, but trial' courts must follow and apply constitutional legislative enactments. Regardless of personal opinions of lawyers and laymen, this trial court will always respect and follow the decisions of reviewing courts in this and other jurisdictions.

Before the amendments to §§1579-41 and 1579-46 GC, there was on our statute books as amended June 1, 1925, §486-8 GC which in part reads as follows:

“Sec. 486-8. Service, classified and un» classified, defined:
“The civil service of the state of Ohio and the several counties, cities and, city school districts therof shall be divided into the unclassified service and the classified service.
“Positions in unclassified service:
(a) The unclassified service shall comprise the following positions, which shall not be included in the classified service, and which shall be exempt from all examinations required in this act * * *.
“* * * Section 8 * * * and two secretaries, assistants or clerks and one personal stenographer for other elective officers * *

It can be observed from the last cited statute that as far back as 1925 the leglislature desired to exempt personal secretaries and personal stenographers from the classified provisions of civil service and exempt them from all examinations required under the entire civil service act. This is the same act; which empowers the mayor of the city; of Cleveland to appoint the respondents and they receive powers and authority, under such act and under the constitutional provisions for charter cities to exercise the duties now being undertaken by them. It is particularly of interest to note a portion of such civil service act as contained in §486-19 GC which reads as follows: ■

“* * - * Such municipal commission shall prescribe, amend and enforcé rules not inconsistent with the provisions of this act for the classification [472]*472of positions in the civil service of such city * * *. Said municipal commission shall have and exercise all other powers and perform all other duties with respect to the civil service of such city and city school district, as herein prescribed and conferred upon the civil service commission with respect to the civil service of the state * * *. The provisions of this act shall in all other respects, except as provided in this section, be in full force and effect in such cities.”

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Related

Underwood v. Isham, Judge
22 N.E.2d 468 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1939)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 Ohio Law. Abs. 469, 19 Ohio Op. 545, 1941 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-henry-v-civil-service-commission-ohctcomplcuyaho-1941.