Title: State ex rel. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. v. Cleveland

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

The State ex rel. The Plain Dealer Publishing Company v. City of 
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Cleveland. 
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[Cite as State ex rel. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. v. Cleveland (1996), 
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_____Ohio St.3d ____.] 
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Public records -- R.C. 149.43(C) -- Determination on application for 
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attorney fees and costs. 
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(No. 95-594 -- Submitted July 10, 1996 -- Decided August 21, 1996.) 
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In Mandamus. 
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On Application for Costs and Attorney Fees. 
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This matter is before the court on the application of the relator, Plain 
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Dealer Publishing Company, for attorney fees and costs pursuant to R.C. 
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149.43, in the total amount of $71,896.64. 
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Of the requested amounts the following portions are denied: 
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$14,818.75 in attorney fees incurred after August 3, 1995 which are 
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unsupported by any detail; $4,378.75 for fee application preparation; and 
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$7,329.09 and $2,478.80, respectively, for litigation and deposition 
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expenses as not being within the ambit of R.C. 149.43(C) and not within the 
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definition of “costs.”  Relator is entitled to a refund of the $100 security 
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deposit and $40 docket fee as costs, since they are specifically taxable as 
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costs.  S.Ct. Prac. R. XV(1) and (2). 
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Therefore, relator is allowed its attorney fees in the amount of 
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$42,891.25 and a refund of costs in the amount of $140.  Relator’s motion 
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to amend its application for fees is denied as being moot. 
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MOYER, C.J., RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY and COOK, JJ., concur. 
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DOUGLAS, J., concurs in part and dissents in part. 
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PFEIFER, J., dissents. 
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STRATTON, J., not participating. 
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DOUGLAS, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part.     The only 
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portion of the $71,896.64 for attorney fees and costs requested by relator 
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that I would deny is the amount detailed for fee application preparation 
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($4,378.75).  I would grantto relator the balance requested for fees and costs 
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($67,517.89).  The more we make the violation of R.C. 149.43 hurt, the less 
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the statute will be violated. 
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