Case Title: Page v. Geauga County Probate & Juvenile Court

Citation: 2023-Ohio-2491

Docket Number: 2023-0656

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 2023-07-20T00:00:00Z

Document:
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as Page 
v. Geauga Cty. Probate & Juvenile Court, Slip Opinion No. 2023-Ohio-2491.] 
 
 
 
NOTICE 
This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in an 
advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports.  Readers are requested to 
promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 
South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, of any typographical or other 
formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be made before 
the opinion is published. 
 
 
SLIP OPINION NO. 2023-OHIO-2491 
PAGE v. GEAUGA COUNTY PROBATE AND JUVENILE COURT ET AL. 
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it 
may be cited as Page v. Geauga Cty. Probate & Juvenile Court, Slip Opinion 
No. 2023-Ohio-2491.] 
Procedendo—Mandamus—Writs sought to compel respondents to proceed to a 
hearing on a pending motion—Mandamus claim dismissed for failure to 
comply with R.C. 2731.04—Procedendo claim dismissed for various 
reasons—Cause dismissed. 
(No. 2023-0656—Submitted July 18, 2023—Decided July 20, 2023.) 
IN PROCEDENDO and MANDAMUS. 
__________________ 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} Relator, Kimberly Page, has filed a complaint seeking writs of 
procedendo and mandamus to compel respondents, the Geauga County Probate and 
Juvenile Court, Judge Timothy J. Grendell, Judge Debra L. Boros, and Richard 
Sherrick, to proceed to a hearing on an ex parte motion seeking temporary custody 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
 
 
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of minor children.  The court, Judge Grendell, and Judge Boros have filed a motion 
to dismiss.  We grant the motion to dismiss and sua sponte dismiss the claims 
against Sherrick. 
{¶ 2} We dismiss the mandamus claim as to all respondents based on Page’s 
failure to caption her complaint “in the name of the state on the relation of the 
person applying” in compliance with R.C. 2731.04.  See Litigaide, Inc. v. Lakewood 
Police Dept. Custodian of Records, 75 Ohio St.3d 508, 664 N.E.2d 521 (1996). 
{¶ 3} To state a claim in procedendo, Page must allege facts showing that (1) 
she has a clear legal right to require respondents to proceed, (2) respondents have a 
clear legal duty to proceed, and (3) she lacks an adequate remedy in the ordinary 
course of the law.  See State ex rel. Weiss v. Hoover, 84 Ohio St.3d 530, 531-532, 
705 N.E.2d 1227 (1999).  We dismiss the procedendo claim against the court because 
a court is not sui juris and may not be sued in its own right.  See State ex rel. Ames 
v. Portage Cty. Bd. of Commrs., 165 Ohio St.3d 292, 2021-Ohio-2374, 178 N.E.3d 
492, ¶ 26.  We dismiss the procedendo claim against Judge Grendell because, 
according to Page, the underlying custody action is not assigned to him.  See State ex 
rel. Johnson v. Jensen, 140 Ohio St.3d 65, 2014-Ohio-3159, 14 N.E.3d 1039, ¶ 5.  
We dismiss the procedendo claim against Sherrick because he is not the judicial 
officer assigned to the underlying case.  See id.  Finally, we dismiss the procedendo 
claim against Judge Boros because the hearing Page requests has already been 
scheduled.  We note, however, that the requested hearing apparently has been 
continued numerous times since November 2020, and we expect no further delays. 
{¶ 4} For the foregoing reasons, we grant the motion to dismiss of 
respondents Geauga County Probate and Juvenile Court, Judge Grendell, and Judge 
Boros and we dismiss the case sua sponte as to respondent Sherrick. 
Motion granted 
and cause dismissed. 
January Term, 2023 
 
 
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KENNEDY, C.J., and FISCHER, DEWINE, DONNELLY, STEWART, BRUNNER, 
and DETERS, JJ., concur. 
_________________ 
Susan J. Lax, RN, MS, L.L.C., and Susan J. Lax, for relator. 
James R. Flaiz, Geauga County Prosecuting Attorney, and Sheila M. Salem, 
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for respondents Geauga County Probate and 
Juvenile Court, Judge Timothy J. Grendell, and Judge Debra L. Boros. 
Michael Drain, for respondent Richard Sherrick. 
_________________