Opinion ID: 4353256
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Intervening Trial-Court Proceedings

Text: {¶ 7} According to the state’s merit brief, on January 29, 2018—after the state had appealed the court of appeals’ judgment to this court but prior to our accepting jurisdiction—the trial court accepted Bishop’s new guilty plea to the same possession offense and sentenced him to time served. We must address whether this case is moot. {¶ 8} Nothing in the record before us confirms that the trial court did, in fact, accept a new guilty plea. But even if the court did accept a new plea, we have held that we may resolve a matter, even if it is moot with respect to the parties, when it involves an issue of great public or general interest that will outlive the instant controversy. See, e.g., Franchise Developers, Inc. v. Cincinnati, 30 Ohio St.3d 28, 31, 505 N.E.2d 966 (1987). We have recognized this exception to the mootness doctrine in other certified-conflict cases and held that it was appropriate to resolve the question of law presented. State v. Massien, 125 Ohio St.3d 204, 2010-Ohio-1864, 926 N.E.2d 1282, ¶ 4, fn. 1; State v. Brooks, 103 Ohio St.3d 134, 2004-Ohio-4746, 814 N.E.2d 837, ¶ 5. For this reason, we proceed to consider the certified-conflict question.