Title: State ex rel. Cheren v. Akron Chief of Police

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

OPINIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO                               
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Thomas J. Moyer.                                                                 
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The State ex rel. Cheren, Appellant, v. Chief of Police, Akron                   
Municipal Police Department, Appellee.                                           
[Cite as State ex rel. Cheren v. Akron Chief of Police                           
(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. 93-839 -- Submitted July 8, 1993 -- Decided                            
October 20, 1993.)                                                               
     Appeal from the Court of Appeals for Summit County, No.                     
16066.                                                                           
     Appellant, Oles Cheren, applied to appellee, the Chief of                   
Police, Akron Municipal Police Department, for certain criminal                  
records.  Appellee mailed the records to appellant after                         
redacting certain information.  Appellant then brought this                      
action in mandamus to compel appellee to furnish all the                         
records appellant had requested or to explain the statutory                      
basis for the redactions.  Appellee moved to dismiss for                         
failure to state  a claim upon which relief could be granted                     
(Civ.R. 12[B][6]), or for judgment on the pleadings (Civ.R.                      
12[C]).  The court of appeals granted the motion, citing State                   
ex rel. Nelson v. Fuerst (1993), 66 Ohio St.3d 47, 607 N.E.2d                    
836.                                                                             
     The cause is before this court upon an appeal as of right.                  
                                                                                 
     Oles Cheren, pro se.                                                        
     Max Rothal, Director of Law, and Kathryn W. Pascover,                       
Assistant Director of Law, for appellee.                                         
                                                                                 
     Per Curiam.  We have held that the Civ.R. 12(B)(6) motion                   
to dismiss is not appropriate for resolving writ cases on the                    
merits.  State ex rel. Hanson v. Guernsey Cty. Bd. of Commrs.                    
(1992), 65 Ohio St.3d 545, 605 N.E.2d 378.  Nevertheless, on                     
independent review of the merits, we find that Nelson, supra,                    
is determinative and that appellee had no duty to mail any                       
public records or copies thereof to appellant.                                   
     The judgment of the court of appeals is affirmed.                           
                                    Judgment affirmed.                           
     Moyer, C.J., A.W. Sweeney, Resnick and F.E. Sweeney, JJ.,                   
concur.                                                                          
     Douglas, Wright and Pfeifer, JJ., dissent.