Title: Wells v. Hudson

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Cite as Wells v. Hudson, 113 Ohio St.3d 308, 2007-Ohio-1955.] 
 
 
WELLS, APPELLANT, v. HUDSON, WARDEN, APPELLEE. 
[Cite as Wells v. Hudson, 113 Ohio St.3d 308, 2007-Ohio-1955.] 
Habeas corpus — Res judicata. 
(No. 2006-2279 — Submitted April 4, 2007 — Decided May 9, 2007.) 
APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Richland County, 
No. 06-CA-79. 
__________________ 
 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} This is an appeal from a judgment dismissing a petition for a writ 
of habeas corpus.  We affirm. 
{¶ 2} In December 1997, following a trial, a jury convicted appellant, 
John E. Wells Sr., of five counts of rape of children under the age of 13, with 
additional findings that two of the counts were committed with force or threat of 
force.  The Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas sentenced Wells to two life 
sentences and three ten-year terms of imprisonment, all to be served 
consecutively.  On appeal, the court of appeals affirmed.  State v. Wells (Mar. 22, 
2000), Jefferson App. No. 98-JE-3, 2000 WL 309401.  In that case, the court of 
appeals held that Wells had waived any alleged deficiency in the verdict forms 
because he had failed to object to the forms at trial.  Id. at * 7. 
{¶ 3} Wells’s subsequent habeas corpus petitions were unsuccessful.  
See Wells v. Bagley (2001), 93 Ohio St.3d 1495, 758 N.E.2d 1147; State ex rel. 
Wells v. Costine, 99 Ohio St.3d 1450, 2003-Ohio-3396, 790 N.E.2d 1216; Wells v. 
Bradshaw, Richland App. No. 06CA35, 2006-Ohio-4636, 2006 WL 2578358. 
{¶ 4} In September 2006, Wells filed another habeas corpus petition, this 
time in the Court of Appeals for Richland County.  In his petition, Wells claimed 
entitlement to the writ because the jury’s verdicts did not contain findings of all 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
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the essential elements of the crimes.  The court of appeals sua sponte dismissed 
the petition. 
{¶ 5} In his appeal as of right, Wells asserts that the court of appeals 
erred in sua sponte dismissing his petition.  Wells’s contentions lack merit. 
{¶ 6} Res judicata barred Wells from filing a successive habeas corpus 
petition.  State ex rel. Tarr v. Williams, 112 Ohio St.3d 51, 2006-Ohio-6368, 857 
N.E.2d 1225, ¶ 4.  Wells either raised or could have raised his claim in his 
previous petitions. 
{¶ 7} Moreover, Wells had previously raised the issue of the propriety of 
the verdicts in his direct appeal.  Wells may not use habeas corpus to obtain 
successive appellate reviews of the same issue.  State ex rel. Rash v. Jackson, 102 
Ohio St.3d 145, 2004-Ohio-2053, 807 N.E.2d 344, ¶ 12. 
{¶ 8} In addition, Wells’s claim that his jury verdict forms did not list all 
the essential elements of his criminal offenses is not cognizable in habeas corpus.  
See, e.g., Miller v. Mitchell (Aug. 29, 1997), Trumbull App. No. 97-T-0053, 1997 
WL 531303. 
{¶ 9} Finally, because Wells’s petition failed to state a facially valid 
habeas corpus claim, the court was entitled to dismiss it without prior notice under 
the basic, summary procedure provided in R.C. Chapter 2725.  See generally 
Chari v. Vore (2001), 91 Ohio St.3d 323, 327, 744 N.E.2d 763. 
{¶ 10} Based on the foregoing, we affirm the judgment of the court of 
appeals. 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
MOYER, C.J., PFEIFER, LUNDBERG STRATTON, O’CONNOR, O’DONNELL, 
LANZINGER and CUPP, JJ., concur. 
__________________ 
 
John E. Wells Sr., pro se. 
January Term, 2007 
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Marc Dann, Attorney General, and Diane Mallory, Assistant Attorney 
General, for appellee. 
_______________________