Title: Russell v. Duffey

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as 
Russell v. Duffey, Slip Opinion No. 2015-Ohio-1358.] 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTICE 
This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in 
an advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports.  Readers are requested 
to promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 
65 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, of any typographical or 
other formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be 
made before the opinion is published. 
 
SLIP OPINION NO. 2015-OHIO-1358 
RUSSELL, APPELLANT, v. DUFFEY, WARDEN, APPELLEE. 
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it 
may be cited as Russell v. Duffey, Slip Opinion No. 2015-Ohio-1358.] 
Habeas corpus—Res judicata—Claims were or could have been raised on direct 
appeal—R.C. 2969.25(C)(1)—Failure to attach proper statement setting 
forth  balance of inmate account for preceding six months—Dismissal of 
complaint affirmed. 
(No. 2014-1022—Submitted January 13, 2015—Decided April 9, 2015.) 
APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Hocking County, No. 14CA5. 
_____________________ 
 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} We affirm the judgment of the court of appeals dismissing the 
complaint of appellant, Robert W. Russell, for a writ of habeas corpus. 
{¶ 2} Russell filed a complaint for a writ of habeas corpus in the court of 
appeals against appellee, Sheri Duffey, warden of the Southeastern Correctional 
Complex (“SCC”).  He alleged that his convictions were the result of 
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prosecutorial misconduct and that the court that convicted him for various crimes 
lacked jurisdiction over him, as the statute of limitations had run when he was 
tried.  The court of appeals dismissed Russell’s complaint because Russell had an 
adequate remedy by way of appeal and because he had failed to comply with R.C. 
2969.25(C)(1). 
Facts 
{¶ 3} In October 2003, after a jury trial, Russell was convicted of 16 
criminal counts and sentenced to life in prison on the first eight counts and to 
various definite and indefinite terms on the remaining counts, all to be served 
concurrently.  He was also declared a sexual predator.  He filed an appeal of his 
convictions, and the court of appeals affirmed.  State v. Russell, 8th Dist. 
Cuyahoga No. 83699, 2004-Ohio-5031.  He also filed an application for 
reopening, which was denied. State v. Russell, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 83699, 
2005-Ohio-2998. 
{¶ 4} On April 10, 2014, Russell filed a complaint for a writ of habeas 
corpus while confined at the SCC. He alleged that his convictions were the result 
of prosecutorial misconduct and that the court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction 
because he was indicted in 2003, years after the statute of limitations had 
allegedly expired in 1996. 
{¶ 5} Duffey filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Russell had not served 
his maximum term, that he had an adequate remedy at law (presumably by way of 
appeal), and that some of his arguments were res judicata. 
{¶ 6} The court of appeals dismissed the complaint on two grounds. First, 
it held that Russell’s claims regarding the statute of limitations and prosecutorial 
misconduct could have been or were raised in his direct appeal and in his 
application for reopening.  Second, the court of appeals pointed out that Russell’s 
complaint suffered from a procedural defect in that he did not attach a statement 
January Term, 2015 
 
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setting forth his inmate account for the previous six months, as required by R.C. 
2969.25(C)(1). 
{¶ 7} Russell appealed to this court. 
Analysis 
{¶ 8} We affirm for two reasons.  First, Russell had alternate remedies at 
law, which precludes a writ of habeas corpus.  Pruitt v. Cook, 137 Ohio St.3d 296, 
2013-Ohio-4734, 998 N.E.2d 1159, ¶ 9, citing State ex rel. Jackson v. McFaul, 73 
Ohio St.3d 185, 186, 652 N.E.2d 746 (1995) (“habeas is not a substitute for 
appeal or other remedy in the ordinary course of law such as postconviction 
relief”). 
{¶ 9} Specifically, Russell filed an appeal of his criminal convictions, and 
the Eighth District affirmed.  2004-Ohio-5031.  This court declined to accept his 
appeal from that judgment.  State v. Russell, 105 Ohio St.3d 1452, 2005-Ohio-
763, 823 N.E.2d 457.  Russell then filed an application in the court of appeals to 
reopen his direct appeal, which included claims of prosecutorial misconduct and 
expiration of the statute of limitations. The application was denied by the court of 
appeals on the grounds of res judicata and on the merits regarding his claims of 
ineffective assistance of appellate counsel.  2005-Ohio-2998. 
{¶ 10} In other words, Russell had, and used, alternative remedies at law.  
He cannot get a writ of habeas corpus for claims he raised or could have raised 
using these remedies. 
{¶ 11} Second, Russell failed to attach to his complaint a proper statement 
setting forth the balance of his inmate account for the preceding six months, as 
required by R.C. 2969.25(C)(1).  “ ‘The requirements of R.C. 2969.25 are 
mandatory, and failure to comply with them subjects an inmate’s action to 
dismissal.’ ”  Boles v. Knab, 129 Ohio St.3d 222, 2011-Ohio-2859, 951 N.E.2d 
389, ¶ 1, quoting State ex rel. White v. Bechtel, 99 Ohio St.3d 11, 2003-Ohio-
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2262, 788 N.E.2d 634, ¶ 5; State ex rel. McGrath v. McDonnell, 126 Ohio St.3d 
511, 2010-Ohio-4726, 935 N.E.2d 830, ¶ 1. 
{¶ 12} Here, Russell attached a statement, but the period covered by the 
statement ended in October 2013, and his complaint was filed in April 2014.  
Thus, the statement did not comply with R.C. 2969.25(C)(1), because it was not 
for the six months preceding this action. 
Judgment affirmed. 
O’CONNOR, C.J., and PFEIFER, O’DONNELL, LANZINGER, KENNEDY, 
FRENCH, and O’NEILL, JJ., concur. 
_____________________ 
 
Robert W. Russell, pro se. 
 
Michael DeWine, Attorney General, and Thelma Thomas Price, Assistant 
Attorney General, for appellee. 
_______________________