Title: State ex rel. Whittenberger v. Clarke

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Cite as State ex rel. Whittenberger v. Clarke, 89 Ohio St.3d 207, 2000-Ohio-136.] 
 
 
 
 
 
THE STATE EX REL. WHITTENBERGER, APPELLANT, v. CLARKE, CLERK OF COURTS, 
TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, APPELLEE. 
[Cite as State ex rel. Whittenberger v. Clarke (2000), 89 Ohio St.3d 207.] 
Mandamus sought to compel Tuscarawas County Clerk of Courts to refund costs 
relator paid for filing his motion to dismiss the assessment of court costs 
arising from a cancelled sexual offender classification hearing — Court of 
appeals’ dismissal of complaint affirmed. 
(No. 99-2267 — Submitted April 25, 2000 — Decided June 21, 2000.) 
APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Tuscarawas County, No. 99AP110063. 
 
In 1989, appellant, Roy Whittenberger, was convicted of rape and corruption 
of a minor and sentenced to an aggregate prison term of seven to twenty-five years.  
After a sexual offender classification hearing was canceled in 1998, the 
Tuscarawas County Court of Common Pleas assessed Whittenberger certain court 
costs related to the proceeding.  In December 1998, Whittenberger filed a motion 
to dismiss the assessment of court costs arising from the canceled hearing.  The 
common pleas court then assessed Whittenberger a fifty-five dollar filing fee for 
his motion to dismiss.  On March 24, 1999, the common pleas court entered a 
judgment on Whittenberger’s dismissal motion.  The common pleas court removed 
seven dollars of the costs previously assessed against Whittenberger relating to the 
 
 
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classification hearing and ordered him to “pay all other costs and fees associated 
with this case which have been billed to him.” 
 
Instead of appealing the common pleas court’s March 24, 1999 judgment, in 
November 1999, Whittenberger filed a complaint in the Court of Appeals for 
Tuscarawas County for a writ of mandamus to compel appellee, Tuscarawas 
County Clerk of Courts Rockne W. Clarke, to refund the fifty-five dollars in costs 
Whittenberger had paid for filing his dismissal motion.  The court of appeals sua 
sponte dismissed Whittenberger’s complaint. 
 
This cause is now before the court upon an appeal as of right. 
__________________ 
 
Roy Whittenberger, pro se. 
 
Amanda Spies Bornhorst, Tuscarawas County Prosecuting Attorney, and 
Scott J. Mastin, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee. 
__________________ 
 
Per Curiam.  We affirm the judgment of the court of appeals.  A writ of 
mandamus will not be issued when there is a plain and adequate remedy in the 
ordinary course of the law.  R.C. 2731.05; State ex rel. Natl. Electrical Contractors 
Assn., Ohio Conference v. Ohio Bur. of Emp. Serv. (1998), 83 Ohio St.3d 179, 183, 
699 N.E.2d 64, 67.  As the court of appeals held, Whittenberger had an adequate 
remedy by appeal to challenge the common pleas court’s imposition of court costs. 
 
 
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Judgment affirmed. 
 
MOYER, C.J., DOUGLAS, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER, COOK and 
LUNDBERG STRATTON, JJ., concur.