Opinion ID: 6352814
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Reese Commences this Action

Text: {¶ 7} Reese commenced this action on July 13, 2021, seeking a writ of mandamus ordering DRC to provide copies of the requested documents and seeking an award of statutory damages. We granted an alternative writ and ordered the parties to file merit briefs and submit any evidence they intended to present. 164 Ohio St.3d 1454, 2021-Ohio-3438, 174 N.E.3d 802. {¶ 8} DRC filed evidence showing that it responded to Reese’s April 14, 2021 public-records request on August 5, 2021. DRC provided copies of documents responsive to request No. 5 of the April 14 letter. However, DRC did not provide any records in response to Reese’s other requests, citing various reasons: (1) some of the records were not in DRC’s possession, (2) video footage was not kept in the format Reese had requested, and (3) other records were exempt from disclosure under R.C. 5120.21(F), which pertains to “records of inmates.” DRC also informed Reese that the Ohio State Highway Patrol (“OSHP”) was the public office that maintains records such as those sought in request No. 2 of the April 14 letter. DRC contends that it provided Reese copies of all public records 4 January Term, 2022 responsive to the April 14 request that were in its possession. DRC does not mention the December 1 or December 29, 2017 requests in either its merit brief or evidence. {¶ 9} Following the close of briefing, Reese filed a “request to add to mandamus,” in which he asked this court to add “[OSHP] Central Records” and “[OSHP] Southington Post” as respondents in this case. DRC did not respond to that request.