Title: State ex rel. Robinson v. Cuyahoga Cty. Court of Common Pleas

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

The State ex rel. Robinson, Appellant, v. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, 
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Appellee. 
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[Cite as State ex rel. Robinson v. Cuyahoga Cty. Court of Common Pleas 
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(1996), ____Ohio St.3d __.] 
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Mandamus to compel common pleas court to vacate its order 
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appointing a guardian ad litem for relator -- Writ denied where 
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adequate remedy at law exists. 
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(No. 95-2110 -- Submitted February 20, 1996-- Decided April 17, 
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1996.) 
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Appeal from the Court of Appeals for Cuyahoga County, No. 69476. 
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Lewis G. Robinson appeals from a decision of the Court of Appeals 
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for Cuyahoga County dismissing his August 25, 1995 complaint for a writ 
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of mandamus.  The complaint sought to require the Cuyahoga County Court 
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of Common Pleas to vacate its order of January 26, 1990 in which it 
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appointed a guardian ad litem for Robinson. 
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In dismissing Robinson’s complaint, the court of appeals found that 
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since a court of common pleas has jurisdiction to appoint a guardian ad 
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litem, a writ of mandamus will not lie to compel vacation of the 
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appointment order and the appropriate remedy for Robinson was by an 
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appeal. 
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The cause is now before this court upon an appeal as of right. 
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_____________________ 
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Lewis G. Robinson, pro se. 
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Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney, and 
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Gregory B. Rowinski, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee. 
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___________________ 
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Per Curiam.  We agree with the court of appeals.  Since Sturges v. 
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Longworth (1853), 1 Ohio St. 544, we have approved of a court of common 
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pleas’ appointing a guardian ad litem, literally a guardian for the case, who 
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has no duties prior to the institution of a suit or after its termination but 
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whose sole duty is to defend in a particular cause.  Civ.R. 17(B) authorizes a 
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court, as incident to its power to try a case, to order the appointment of a 
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guardian ad litem.  Robinson’s remedy was appeal from that order.  
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Mandamus will not issue where, as here, there was an adequate remedy at 
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law.   
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The judgment of the court of appeals is hereby affirmed. 
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Judgment affirmed. 
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MOYER, C.J., DOUGLAS, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER and COOK, 
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JJ., concur. 
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WRIGHT, J., not participating. 
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