Case Title: State ex rel. Hach v. Summit Cty. Court of Common Pleas

Citation: 2004-Ohio-1800

Docket Number: 20032070

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 2004-04-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
[Cite as State ex rel. Hach v. Summit Cty. Court of Common Pleas, 102 Ohio St.3d 75, 2004-Ohio-
1800.] 
 
 
THE STATE EX REL. HACH, APPELLANT, v. SUMMIT COUNTY COURT OF 
COMMON PLEAS, APPELLEE. 
[Cite as State ex rel. Hach v. Summit Cty. Court of Common Pleas, 102 Ohio 
St.3d 75, 2004-Ohio-1800.] 
Mandamus sought to compel common pleas court to determine relator’s post-
conviction-relief petition, disqualify the trial judge from hearing the 
matter, hold an evidentiary hearing on the petition, and issue findings of 
fact and conclusions of law — Court of appeals’ dismissal of petition 
affirmed. 
(No. 2003-2070 — Submitted March 31, 2004 — Decided April 28, 2004.) 
APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Summit County, No. 21757. 
__________________ 
 
Per Curiam. 
{¶1} 
The Summit County Court of Common Pleas convicted appellant, 
Thomas Hach, of 11 counts of rape and ten counts of gross sexual imposition and 
sentenced him to prison.  On appeal, the court of appeals affirmed.  State v. Hach 
(Jan. 3, 2001), Summit App. No. 19772, 2001 WL 7381. 
{¶2} 
On August 28, 2003, the common pleas court denied Hach’s 
petition for post-conviction relief.  On September 5, 2003, the common pleas 
court denied Hach’s motion to disqualify the trial court judge and to appoint a 
separate judge to review his petition for post-conviction relief. 
{¶3} 
On September 26, 2003, Hach filed a complaint in the Court of 
Appeals for Summit County.  In his complaint, Hach requested a writ of 
mandamus to compel the common pleas court to (1) determine his post-
conviction-relief petition, (2) disqualify the trial court judge from hearing the 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
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matter, (3) hold an evidentiary hearing on the petition, and (4) issue findings of 
fact and conclusions of law. 
{¶4} 
The common pleas court moved to dismiss Hach’s complaint.  On 
October 17, 2003, the court of appeals granted the motion and dismissed Hach’s 
mandamus action. 
{¶5} 
In his appeal of right, Hach asserts that the court of appeals erred 
in dismissing his mandamus claims.  For the following reasons, Hach’s 
contentions are meritless. 
{¶6} 
First, insofar as Hach requested that the common pleas court rule 
upon his petition for post-conviction relief, that court had already done so.  State 
ex rel. Whiteside v. Fais (2001), 91 Ohio St.3d 463, 464, 746 N.E.2d 1113 
(“Mandamus will not issue to compel an act that has already been performed,” 
e.g., ruling on a petition for post-conviction relief). 
{¶7} 
Second, R.C. 2701.03, which governs the procedure for 
disqualifying a common pleas court judge because of prejudice, provided an 
adequate legal remedy for Hach to raise his claim that his trial court judge was 
prejudiced against him.  State ex rel. Dehler v. Sutula (1995), 74 Ohio St.3d 33, 
35, 656 N.E.2d 332.  R.C. 2701.03(A) requires that the affidavit of 
disqualification be filed with the clerk of this court rather than with the common 
pleas court. 
{¶8} 
Third, Hach had an “adequate remedy at law by appeal to raise his 
claim that his sentencing court erred in not conducting evidentiary hearings before 
dismissing his postconviction relief petitio[n].”  Gause v. Zaleski (1999), 85 Ohio 
St.3d 614, 615, 710 N.E.2d 684. 
{¶9} 
Finally, “a trial court need not issue findings of fact and 
conclusions of law when it dismisses an untimely [post-conviction relief] 
petition.”  State ex rel. Kimbrough v. Greene, 98 Ohio St.3d 116, 2002-Ohio-
7042, 781 N.E.2d 155, ¶ 6.  This rule applies even when the defendant, as here, 
January Term, 2004 
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claims, under R.C. 2953.23, that he was unavoidably prevented from discovery of 
the facts to present his claim for post-conviction relief.  State ex rel. Reynolds v. 
Basinger, 99 Ohio St.3d 303, 2003-Ohio-3631, 791 N.E.2d 459, ¶ 7. 
{¶10} Based on the foregoing, we affirm the judgment of the court of 
appeals. 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
MOYER, C.J., RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER, LUNDBERG STRATTON, 
O’CONNOR and O’DONNELL, JJ., concur. 
__________________ 
 
Thomas Hach, pro se. 
 
Sherri Bevan Walsh, Summit County Prosecuting Attorney, and Richard 
S. Kasay, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee. 
__________________