Case Title: In re Disqualification of Jamison

Citation: 2017-Ohio-1436

Docket Number: 17-AP-019

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 2017-03-13T00:00:00Z

Document:
[Cite as In re Disqualification of Jamison, ___ Ohio St.3d ___, 2017-Ohio-1436.] 
 
 
 
IN RE DISQUALIFICATION OF JAMISON. 
TOWNES v. TOWNES. 
[Cite as In re Disqualification of Jamison, ___ Ohio St.3d ___,  
2017-Ohio-1436.] 
Judges—Affidavits 
of 
disqualification—R.C. 
2701.03—Affiant 
failed 
to 
demonstrate bias or prejudice—Disqualification denied. 
(No. 17-AP-019—Decided March 13, 2017.) 
ON AFFIDAVIT OF DISQUALIFICATION in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, 
Domestic Relations Division, Case No. 17 DR 000652. 
____________ 
O’CONNOR, C.J. 
{¶ 1} Defendant, Antoney Townes, has filed an affidavit with the clerk of 
this court under R.C. 2701.03 seeking to disqualify Judge Terri Jamison from 
presiding over any further proceedings in the above-captioned divorce case. 
{¶ 2} Mr. Townes filed his affidavit on March 10, 2017, and in the affidavit, 
he avers that the next scheduled court date is March 14, 2017.  Under R.C. 
2701.03(B), an affidavit of disqualification must be filed “not less than seven 
calendar days before the day on which the next hearing in the proceeding is 
scheduled.”  This statutory deadline may be set aside only “when compliance with 
the provision is impossible,” such as when the alleged bias or prejudice occurs 
fewer than seven days before the hearing date or the case is scheduled or assigned 
to a judge within seven days of the next hearing.  In re Disqualification of 
Leskovyansky, 88 Ohio St.3d 1210, 723 N.E.2d 1099 (1999). 
{¶ 3} Mr. Townes appears to allege that it was impossible for him to comply 
with the deadline “because of the wrong information given by the staff at the 
Supreme Court by phone” and that his first affidavit was “rejected because of the 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
 
2
wrong information given.”  This explanation, however, does not establish that it 
was impossible for Mr. Townes to comply with the statutory seven-day filing 
requirement.  Rather, it appears that he attempted to file a deficient affidavit, and 
therefore he submitted a second (and corrected) affidavit on March 10.  Neither Mr. 
Townes’s failure to initially comply with the requirements of R.C. 2701.03 nor his 
vague allegation that he relied on “wrong information” from court staff excuses 
him from the statutory deadline.  Accordingly, his affidavit of disqualification is 
dismissed as untimely. 
________________________