[Cite as State ex rel. Kirin v. Evans, 2015-Ohio-4828.]

STATE OF OHIO, MAHONING COUNTY 

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS 

SEVENTH DISTRICT 

STATE OF OHIO EX REL, ) CASE NO. 15 MA 62 

VICTOR J. KIRIN, JR., ) 

) 

RELATOR, ) 

) 

VS. ) OPINION AND 

) JUDGMENT ENTRY 

JUDGE JAMES C. EVANS, ) 

JUDGE SHIRLEY J. CHRISTIAN, ) 

) 

RESPONDENT. ) 

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDINGS: Motion to Certify a Conflict 

JUDGMENT: Denied. 

APPEARANCES: 

For Relator: Victor J. Kirin, Jr., pro se

15 North Beverly Avenue 

Austintown, Ohio 44515 

For Respondent: Atty. Paul J. Gains 

Mahoning County Prosecutor 

Atty. Gina DeGenova Bricker 

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney 

Civil Division 

21 West Boardman Street, 5th Floor 

Youngstown, Ohio 44503 

JUDGES: 

Hon. Carol Ann Robb 

Hon. Gene Donofrio 

Hon. Cheryl L. Waite 

Dated: November 20, 2015
[Cite as State ex rel. Kirin v. Evans, 2015-Ohio-4828.]

PER CURIAM. 

{¶1} Relator Victor J. Kirin Jr. filed a post-judgment motion in this mandamus 

action, which he calls a motion to certify a conflict. For the following reasons, 

Relator’s various requests contained in his motion are denied. 

{¶2} Relator filed a three-count original action in this court against 

Respondents Judges Shirley J. Christian and James C. Evans of the Mahoning 

County Common Pleas Court. On June 5, 2015, this court sua sponte dismissed 

counts two and three for lack of jurisdiction. We explained: R.C. 149.351(C) requires 

an action for destruction of public records to be filed in the common pleas court; and 

the court of appeals cannot hear a tort action seeking compensatory damages. 

{¶3} This left count one, a public records mandamus action filed under R.C. 

149.43. Relator claimed Respondents denied his public records request, which he 

said was contained in two motions filed by him as plaintiff in a civil case. The 

motions, said to be filed under R.C. 2301.25, requested the trial court to order 

transcripts of hearings before a magistrate, claiming false statements were made. 

However, those hearings never resulted in a magistrate’s decision, and the trial court 

ruled that it would decide the dispositive motion in the case. 

{¶4} Respondents filed a motion to dismiss the action. This court converted 

the motion to a motion for summary judgment due to references to the record in the 

traffic case. On June 25, 2015, we provided Respondents time to supplement the 

motion, and we provided Relator fourteen days to respond. On September 23, 2015, 

this court issued an opinion analyzing the applicable law. We granted summary 

judgment in favor of Respondents, denied Relator’s request for a writ of mandamus, 

and provided notice of a final order. State ex rel. Kirin v. Evans, 7th Dist. No. 

15MA62, 2015-Ohio-3965. 

{¶5} On October 1, 2015, Relator filed a motion to certify a conflict. He 

quotes App.R. 25(A), which provides in part: 

A motion to certify a conflict under Article IV, Section 3(B)(4) of the Ohio 

Constitution shall be made in writing no later than ten days after the 

clerk has both mailed to the parties the judgment or order of the court 
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that creates a conflict with a judgment or order of another court of 

appeals and made note on the docket of the mailing, as required by 

App. R. 30(A). * * * A motion under this rule shall specify the issue 

proposed for certification and shall cite the judgment or judgments 

alleged to be in conflict with the judgment of the court in which the 

motion is filed. 

{¶6} The cited constitutional provision states: “Whenever the judges of a 

court of appeals find that a judgment upon which they have agreed is in conflict with 

a judgment pronounced upon the same question by any other court of appeals of the 

state, the judges shall certify the record of the case to the supreme court for review 

and final determination.” Ohio Const., Article IV, Section 3(B)(4). 

{¶7} The issue proposed for certification must be dispositive of the case. 

See, e.g., State ex rel. Davet v. Sutula, 131 Ohio St.3d 220, 2012-Ohio-759, 963 

N.E.2d 811, ¶ 2. Relator fails to “specify the issue proposed for certification” as 

required by App.R. 25(A). Furthermore, Relator fails to cite the judgment of another 

court of appeals alleged to be in conflict with this court’s judgment in this case as 

required by App.R. 25(A). Accordingly, Relator’s motion to certify a conflict must be 

denied. 

{¶8} Although solely entitled a motion to certify a conflict, Relator’s motion 

also asks this court to reconsider our decision. However, an appellate court’s 

authority to reconsider a final decision applies only to a “cause or motion submitted 

on appeal.” See App.R. 26(A). This case was an original action, not a cause or 

motion submitted on appeal. A party to an original action in the court of appeals 

cannot seek reconsideration of the final decision. State ex rel. Davet, 131 Ohio St.3d 

220 at ¶ 1, citing State ex rel. Washington v. Crush, 106 Ohio St.3d 60, 2005-Ohio3675, 831 N.E.2d 432, ¶ 5. A motion to reconsider in such circumstances is a nullity. 

Id.

{¶9} Contrary to Relator’s argument, our order is not void. This court had 

personal jurisdiction over Relator and jurisdiction over the subject matter in count 

one. We did not have jurisdiction over the subject matter of counts two and three, 

which is why they were sua sponte dismissed in a prior entry. As to Relator’s 
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suggestion that our order improperly deprived him of an evidentiary hearing, such 

process is inapposite to the procedure required for rendering a dismissal or a 

summary judgment. This court rendered a legal decision as to our jurisdiction. We 

then entered a legal decision as to Relator’s remaining claim after properly converting 

a motion to dismiss into a motion for summary judgment. See Civ.R. 12(B); Civ.R. 

56. 

{¶10} Furthermore, it is well-established that matters making an original 

action moot may be gleaned from items outside of the record without presenting them 

to the parties in advance. See, e.g., State ex rel. Nelson v. Russo, 89 Ohio St.3d 

227, 228, 729 N.E.2d 1181 (2000) (the failure to properly convert the respondentjudge’s dismissal motion to a summary judgment motion is harmless as the court of 

appeals can take judicial notice of various items making the case moot). Finally, to 

the extent that Relator’s motion to certify a conflict asks this court to vacate our final 

judgment, Relator has failed to set forth a meritorious claim or a defense to summary 

judgment. 

{¶11} For all of the foregoing reasons, the various requests contained in 

Relator’s motion to certify a conflict are denied.1 Clerk to serve parties. 

Robb, J., concurs. 

Donofrio, P.J., concurs. 

Waite, J., concurs. 

 1 This court is required to rule on a motion to certify a conflict within sixty days of its filing. 

App.R. 26(C). At the time this opinion began circulating among the panel members, a timely response 

to the motion had not been filed by the Respondent. App.R. 26(B) (ten days to respond). Due to our 

time constraints, if a response is filed by the Respondent, it will not be considered by the court. (As 

such, no further reply by Relator could be considered either.)