Sullivan v. Civil Service Commission

131 N.E.2d 611, 102 Ohio App. 269, 73 Ohio Law. Abs. 401, 2 Ohio Op. 2d 299, 1956 Ohio App. LEXIS 644
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 26, 1956
Docket23614
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 131 N.E.2d 611 (Sullivan v. Civil Service Commission) 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
Sullivan v. Civil Service Commission, 131 N.E.2d 611, 102 Ohio App. 269, 73 Ohio Law. Abs. 401, 2 Ohio Op. 2d 299, 1956 Ohio App. LEXIS 644 (Ohio Ct. App. 1956).

Opinion

*404 OPINION

By SKEEL, J:

This appeal comes to this Court on questions of law from a judgment of the Common Pleas Court of Cuyahoga County finding that there was “sufficient cause for the removal of the appellant as a police officer of the City of Euclid, Ohio.” The plaintiff-appellant was a patrolman of the Police Department of the City of Euclid. On June 29th, 1953, an order of suspension was filed with the Civil Service Commission of the City by Gerald J. Sullivan, Chief of Police, as follows:

“Patrolman John Sullivan, Badge No. 31, has been suspended for violating Rule 2, Article 3, being engaged directly or indirectly as a vendor of intoxicating liquors. The rule states that no member of the Department of Police of the City of Euclid, Ohio, shall be engaged directly or indirectly as a vendor of intoxicating liquor.”

Upon hearing before the Mayor, the appellant was found guilty and the Mayor filed the following certificate with the Civil Service Commission :

“John L. Sullivan, Patrolman, No. 31, address 168 East 205th Street, Euclid, Ohio, was tried before me July 3rd, 1953, for violating Article 3 of Rule 2 of the Rules and Regulations governing the Euclid Police Department, ‘For being engaged directly or indirectly as a vendor of intoxicating liquors’ at 21109 Euclid Avenue from April 4, 1953 until June 29, 1953. I found him guilty as charged and dismissed him from the Euclid Police Department.”

An appeal was taken to the Civil Service Commission where on July 16, 1953, a hearing was had and a transcript of the testimony taken. The Commission sustained the appellant’s dismissal by the Chief of Police and his removal from the Department by the following order:

“The Commission further finds that by virtue of the Charter of the City of Euclid, Article 5, Section 1, the Honorable Kenneth J. Sims, Mayor, heard the within matter, which was brought before him by virtue oí the Rules and Regulations of the Department of Police of the City of Euclid under Article 3, Rule 2; that John Sullivan was discharged for specific violation of said rules and regulations.
“The Commission further finds the said removal was for cause.
“It is, therefore, the order of this Commission that the Judgment of the Honorable Kenneth J. Sims, Mayor, be, and is, hereby affirmed.”

An appeal was taken from the foregoing order to the Common Pleas Court of Cuyahoga County by notice of appeal filed July 27, 1953, where, upon the hearing on the transcript, the court found there was reasonable grounds for the removal of the appellant. No question is presented by the parties as to the regularity of the proceedings from the filing of charges and the suspension of the appellant by the Chief of Police until the trial on appeal before the Civil Service Commission. Such failure does not waive the question of the jurisdiction of the mayor to hear the complaint and remove the appellant from office hereafter considered.

The only place in the file before us where the order of the Commission is found is in the appellees’ brief where only a part of the finding is set forth. We will assume, however, that the full order is properly *405 journalized upon the records of the Commission, there being no objection to this part of the record in the appeal presented to the Common Pleas Court.

The facts which are the basis of the removal of the appellant are not in great dispute. The appellant between April 4, 1953 and June 29, 1953, was a Patrolman in the Police Department of the City of Euclid, he having joined the force on February 1st, 1949. Sometime prior to the dates first mentioned, the brother of the Chief of Police of Euclid was the owner of The John L. Sullivan Beverage Store located at 21109 Euclid Avenue in the City of Euclid. The State of Ohio had issued to John L. Sullivan a C-2 Permit to sell beer and wine in packages to customers to carry out and not for consumption on the premises at this address. The permit was issued under the authority of §4303.12 R. C. Upon the death of John L. Sullivan, his widow sold the business to the appellant’s wife and Ruth Santry who became partners in carrying on the business. When the Chief of Police was informed that his nephew’s wife was going to purchase the business from his sister-in-law, he having received such notice from the Liquor Department, on appellant’s wife making application for a C-2 License, he informed his nephew, appellant herein, that he would consider that if his wife did go into the business of selling wine and beer to the carry out trade under a C-2 Permit, the appellant would be in violation of Article 3 of Rule 2 of the Police Department of Euclid and subject to dismissal. Rules 1 and 2 and Article 1-3 of Rule 2 are as follows:

“Rule 1: The Chief of Police may suspend from duty, for hearing by the Director of Public Safety, any officer or patrolman, who in the judgment of the Chief has violated any rule or order regularly issued by the Department of Police, and every such suspension shall immediately be reported to the Director of Public Safety as provided by law; or he may deprive members of their vacation days for violation of any rule.
“Rule 2: The following shall be deemed specific cause for the suspension under charges, of any member of the Department of Police.
“Article 1: For-intoxication while on duty, or while in uniform.
“Article 2: For being a user of intoxicating liquor to excess.
“Article 3: For being engaged directly or indirectly as a vendor of intoxicating liquors.”
* * * (Articles 4-21 omitted.) (Emphasis ours.)

The appellant’s wife purchased the business with one, Ruth Santry, and, with such partner, proceeded to operate it as The John L. Sullivan Beverage Store. The appellant was then called before the Chief of Police (his uncle), was suspended for violation of Article 3 of Rule 2, for being directly or indirectly engaged as a vendor of intoxicating liquor, found guilty by the order above quoted and upon appeal to the Civil Service Commission, his conviction and removal from office was affirmed for like reason upon the order as above quoted.

His Appeal to the Common Pleas Court was perfected as provided by law in which appeal the court found from the transcript of the evidence that there was sufficient cause for removal, the court holding by its journal entry:

*406 “On appeal under §143.27 It. C. and after due consideration of the Transcript of the evidence, and the briefs of the parties, and the proceedings before the Civil Service Commission being found legal and regular and the cause of appellant’s removal as a Policeman of the City of Euclid being sufficient under the evidence, Appeal is denied. Judgment is rendered for the appellee, and for costs. No record.”

An examination of the transcript of-the evidence taken before the Civil Service Commission shows that the appellant took no part in the actual conduct of the beverage store business.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
131 N.E.2d 611, 102 Ohio App. 269, 73 Ohio Law. Abs. 401, 2 Ohio Op. 2d 299, 1956 Ohio App. LEXIS 644, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sullivan-v-civil-service-commission-ohioctapp-1956.