Case Name: Mary A. Aldrich v. The City of Youngstown
Court: Supreme Court of Ohio
Jurisdiction: Ohio
Decision Date: 1922-12-29
Citations: 1 Ohio Law Abs. 80
Docket Number: No. 17327
Parties: Mary A. Aldrich v. The City of Youngstown.
Judges: Marshall, C. J., Hough, Robinson, Matthias and Clark, JJ., concur. Wanamaker, J., dissents.
Reporter: The Ohio Law Abstract
Volume: 1
Pages: 80–80

Head Matter:
No. 17327
Mary A. Aldrich v. The City of Youngstown.
Error to the court of appeals of Mahoning county.
MUNICIPAL LAW — (1) Policeman’s acts not ministerial and municipality not liable — (2) Not for their negligent acts.

Opinion:
JONES, J.:
1. The creation and maintenance of a police department by a muunicipality are done in the exercise of its governmental functions. The performance of an act by an official of such department is not the performance of a ministerial act for which a municipality becomes liable under the maxim, respondeat superior.
2. A municipal corporation is not, in the absence of a statutory provision, liable in damages to one injured for the negligent acts of its police department, or any of its members.
(Fowler, Admx., v. City of Cleveland, 100 Ohio St., 158, overruled; Frederick, Admx., v. City of Columbus, 58, Ohio St., 538, and Wheeler v. City of Cincinnati, 19 Ohio St., 19, followed and approved.)
Judgment affirmed and judgment for defendant in error.
Marshall, C. J., Hough, Robinson, Matthias and Clark, JJ., concur. Wanamaker, J., dissents.