State v. Schisler, Unpublished Decision (12-22-2003)

2003 Ohio 7293
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 22, 2003
DocketCase No. 02CA2827.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2003 Ohio 7293 (State v. Schisler, Unpublished Decision (12-22-2003)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Schisler, Unpublished Decision (12-22-2003), 2003 Ohio 7293 (Ohio Ct. App. 2003).

Opinions

DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY
{¶ 1} Relator, Darrell Leadingham, filed his original complaint on February 11, 2002. It names as respondents Richard Schisler and William B. Marshall, Jr., Judges of the Portsmouth Municipal Court, and Marty Donini, Sheriff of Scioto County. Relator alleges that he sought access to four sealed files of the Portsmouth Municipal Court, Case Nos. 75-9783, 76-313, 76-314, and 76-8906, and was denied access to them by the respondent judges. He further alleges that the files were unlawfully sealed — popularly," expunged" — because they contain multiple expunged convictions of respondent Donini. Respondents Schisler and Marshall filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, alleging that relator lacked standing to bring the action. We denied that motion on April 12, 2002.

{¶ 2} Subsequently, relator moved for an in camera inspection of the sealed court records. On July 8, 2002, we granted the motion, appointed a magistrate, set a briefing schedule, and required the magistrate to file a report within forty-five days.

{¶ 3} The magistrate submitted his original magistrate's report on August 22, 2002. In summary, he found that the four files contained evidence of three misdemeanor charges filed against respondent Donini in the 1970's, that two of the charges were dismissed in Case No. 75-9783, refiled as separate cases, Case Nos. 76-313 and 76-314, and dismissed again. The magistrate further found that the third charge, filed in Case No. 76-8906, was wholly separate from the first two and that the record was inconclusive as to the final disposition of the charge. However, he found evidence that there had been a bond forfeiture in the case. He concluded that the two charges clearly dismissed were eligible for expungement under R.C. 2953.52, which permits the expungement of acquittals, dismissals, and no-bills without limit. Consequently, he also found that if the third charge was also a dismissal, it too would have been eligible for dismissal under that statute. Additionally, he found that even if the case had concluded as a bond forfeiture, it would have been eligible for expungement under R.C. 2953.32, as, on the evidence presented, respondent Donini would have been eligible to have the case expunged as a first offender. Accordingly, he concluded that the allegation of the complaint — that the sealed records contained evidence of expungement of multiple convictions — was without merit.

{¶ 4} In the original magistrate's report, the magistrate also found that the expungement order failed to demonstrate compliance with R.C. 2953.32 and/or 2953.52 in other respects:

1. there was no evidence that the prosecutor received notice of the expungement hearing [R.C. 2953.32(B); 2953.52(B)(1)];

2. there was no recitation that there were no criminal charges pending against the applicant [2953.32(C)(1)(b); R.C. 2953.52(B)(2)(b)];

3. if the third charge was a bond forfeiture, the expungement order did not recite that the applicant was rehabilitated to the satisfaction of the court [2953.32(C)(1)(c)]; and there was no evidence of the required weighing of the applicant's interest in having the records sealed against the government's interest in having them remain public records [2953.32(B)(2)(d); 2953.52(C)(1)(e)].

{¶ 5} Nevertheless, the magistrate concluded that errors or omissions 2, 3, and 4 were, at most, errors in the exercise of jurisdiction and, as such, not subject to collateral attack. Moreover, the magistrate concluded that even if the court failed to notify the prosecutor of the hearing, an error that could be considered a failure to acquire personal jurisdiction and subject the expungement order to collateral attack, relator lacked standing to collaterally attack the judgment on that ground. Accordingly, the magistrate recommended that the court deny the writ.

{¶ 6} Both relator and respondent Donini filed objections to the original magistrate's report. Relator objected that, by failing to notify the prosecutor of the expungement hearing, as required by both statutes, the expungement court lacked personal jurisdiction of the matter, rendering its judgment void and subject to collateral attack. Relator also argued that the other errors and omissions in the expungement order rendered the order void.

{¶ 7} Respondent Donini, while supporting the conclusion of the report, argued that it was in error to conclude that the prosecutor was not notified. He attached to his objection, and proferred as additional evidence, a copy of his application to seal the records, which contained proof of service on the prosecutor. The application is not contained in the record.

{¶ 8} Before we addressed the objections, relator filed a notice of additional authority and moved to amend his complaint to add a cause of action. The additional authority was State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirerv. Winkler, 149 Ohio App.3d 350, 777 N.E.2d 320, 2002-Ohio-4803 [Cincinnati Enquirer I], in which the First District Court of Appeals held that R.C. 2953.52 — and by implication R.C. 2953.32 — unconstitutionally deny the public's right of access to public records unless read to include a requirement that the expungement court weigh the public's right of access against the applicant's right to privacy. The appellate court "remanded" the case to the trial court for this required weighing. The trial court did the weighing and granted the expungement. Subsequently, the court of appeals found no abuse of discretion in the weighing and affirmed the trial court's judgment. State ex rel.Cincinnati Enquirer v. Winkler, 151 Ohio App.3d 10, 782 N.E.2d 1247,2002-Ohio-7334 [Cincinnati Enquirer II]. The case has been appealed and set for oral argument sub nom State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v.Cissel, 99 Ohio St.3d 1433, 789 N.E.2d 1115, 2003-Ohio-2902.

{¶ 9} On November 26, 2002, in response to the parties' objections and relator's motion to amend the complaint and add a cause of action, we granted relator's motion and recommitted the case to the magistrate with instructions to file a supplemental magistrate's report on the issues of personal jurisdiction in the expungement hearing and the issues raised byCincinnati Enquirer I. On February 28, 2003, the magistrate filed a supplemental magistrate's report.

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Bluebook (online)
2003 Ohio 7293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-schisler-unpublished-decision-12-22-2003-ohioctapp-2003.