Case Title: State ex rel. Nelson v. Tubbs Jones

Citation: 1993-Ohio-130

Docket Number: 19930593

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 1993-10-06T00:00:00Z

Document:
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Thomas J. Moyer.                                                                 
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The State ex rel. Nelson, Appellant, v. Tubbs Jones, Pros.                       
Atty., Appellee.                                                                 
[Cite as State ex rel. Nelson v. Tubbs Jones (1993),     Ohio                    
St.3d    .]                                                                      
Public records -- R.C. 149.43 does not require custodians to                     
     mail either copies of public records or the records                         
     themselves.                                                                 
     (No. 93-593 -- Submitted June  15, 1993 -- Decided                          
October 6, 1993.)                                                                
     Appeal from the Court of Appeals for Cuyahoga County, No.                   
64763.                                                                           
     After filing five written requests for certain public                       
records in a criminal case, appellant, Carl A. Nelson, Sr.,                      
filed a mandamus action in the court of appeals against                          
appellee, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting                     
Attorney, to obtain the records.  The court of appeals                           
dismissed the action sua sponte, citing State ex rel. Fenley v.                  
Ohio Historical Soc. (1992), 64 Ohio St.3d 509, 597 N.E.2d 120.                  
     The cause is before this court upon an appeal as of right.                  
                                                                                 
     Carl A. Nelson, Sr., pro se.                                                
     Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting                          
Attorney, and Carol Shockley, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney,                    
for appellee.                                                                    
                                                                                 
     Per Curiam.  While we are aware of no procedural rule that                  
authorizes the court to dismiss a case summarily on a question                   
of law - - see State ex rel. Hanson v. Guernsey Cty. Bd. of                      
Commrs. (1992), 65 Ohio St.3d 545, 605 N.E.2d 378 - - we find                    
on the merits that the court of appeals reached the right                        
result and affirm its judgment based on Fenley, supra, and                       
State ex rel. Nelson v. Fuerst (1993), 66 Ohio St.3d 47, 607                     
N.E.2d 836.                                                                      
                                    Judgment affirmed.                           
     Moyer, C.J., A.W. Sweeney, Resnick and F.E. Sweeney, JJ.,                   
concur.                                                                          
     Douglas, Wright and Pfeifer, JJ., dissent for the reasons                   
stated in Justice Wright's dissenting opinion in State ex rel.                   
Fenley v. Ohio Historical Soc. (1992), 64 Ohio St.3d 509,                        
515-516, 597 N.E.2d 120, 125-126.