Case Name: The State ex rel. Thomas, Appellant, v. Money, Warden, Appellee
Court: Supreme Court of Ohio
Jurisdiction: Ohio
Decision Date: 1997-12-31
Citations: 80 Ohio St. 3d 494
Docket Number: No. 97-1463
Parties: The State ex rel. Thomas, Appellant, v. Money, Warden, Appellee.
Judges: Moyer, C.J., Douglas, Resnick, F.E. Sweeney, Pfeifer, Cook and Lundberg Stratton, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Ohio State Reports, Third Service
Volume: 80
Pages: 494–495

Head Matter:
The State ex rel. Thomas, Appellant, v. Money, Warden, Appellee.
[Cite as State ex rel. Thomas v. Money (1997), 80 Ohio St.3d 494.]
(No. 97-1463
Submitted December 3, 1997
Decided December 31, 1997.)
Ralph Thomas, pro se.
Betty D. Montgomery, Attorney General, and Donald Gary Keyser, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
Thomas asserts in his propositions of law that the court of appeals erred by dismissing his habeas corpus petition. Thomas contends that the sentence for his theft conviction is void based on the claims he raised in the court of appeals.
The court of appeals, however, correctly dismissed the petition. Habeas corpus is not available to challenge either sentencing errors or the validity or sufficiency of an indictment. State ex rel. Massie v. Rogers (1997), 77 Ohio St.3d 449, 449-450, 674 N.E.2d 1383; Smith v. Seidner (1997), 78 Ohio St.3d 172, 173, 677 N.E.2d 336. These claims can be raised on direct appeal. Massie and Smith. Similarly, Thomas had an adequate remedy by appeal to raise his remaining claim that he was not present at his sentencing. See, e.g., State v. Welch (1978), 53 Ohio St.2d 47, 7 O.O.3d 128, 372 N.E.2d 346.
Based on the foregoing, we affirm the judgment of the court of appeals.
Judgment affirmed.
Moyer, C.J., Douglas, Resnick, F.E. Sweeney, Pfeifer, Cook and Lundberg Stratton, JJ., concur.