Court Opinion

ID: 9366372
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-26 17:07:43.5009+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:51.789229
License: Public Domain

[Cite as Parra v. Jackson, 2023-Ohio-216.]

                              COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

                             EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
                                COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA

ANDREA PARRA,                                      :

                Plaintiff-Appellee,                :
                                                            No. 111295
                v.                                 :

FRANK G. JACKSON, ET AL.,                          :

                Defendants-Appellees.              :

[Appeal by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office]

                               JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION

                JUDGMENT: AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART,
                          AND REMANDED
                RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: January 26, 2023

            Civil Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas
                                Case No. CV-19-924682

                                             Appearances:

                The Pattakos Law Firm LLC, and Peter Pattakos, for
                appellee Andrea Parra.

                Michael C. O’Malley, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting
                Attorney, Nora E. Poore, Michael J. Stewart, and Anthony
                T. Miranda, Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys, for
                appellant.
LISA B. FORBES, J.:

              Appellant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office (“CCPO”) appeals the

trial court’s decision denying in part its motion for a protective order. After a

thorough in camera review of the documents in question, we affirm the trial court’s

order in part and reverse in part.

I. Facts and Procedural History

              Following the murder of Antonio Parra (“Antonio”), his mother

Andrea Parra (“Parra”) filed a complaint against the former mayor of Cleveland

Frank G. Jackson and the former Cleveland Chief of Police Calvin D. Williams

alleging claims for wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and

obstruction of justice. Parra averred that “Mayor Jackson’s and Chief Williams’s

intentional dereliction of their duties in covering up for gang-related crimes

involving the Mayor’s grandsons respectively caused, and exacerbated the damage

arising from, [Antonio’s] murder.”       Parra also claims that both defendants

obstructed the investigation into Antonio’s murder.

              Parra served a subpoena on CCPO seeking production of various

documents. Pertinent to this appeal, Parra requested the following:

      3. All documents or things relating to the Parra Investigation, including
      the CCPO’s complete file relating to the Investigation, and all official or
      unofficial notes, letters, emails, text messages, camera footage, or other
      recorded communications by any CCPO or other governmental official,
      employee, or agent relating thereto.

      ***

      5. All documents or things relating to the July 17, 2019 Incident,
      including the CCPO’s complete file relating to the Incident, and all
      official or unofficial notes, letters, emails, text messages, camera
      footage, or other recorded communications by any CCPO or other
      governmental official, employee, or agent relating thereto.

      ***

      8. All documents or things relating to a report issued by the City of
      Cleveland’s Fire Department concerning a vehicle that was found on
      fire on August 30, 2019, at 9217 Holton Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44101,
      including, without limitation, all related dash camera and body camera
      footage.

Request Nos. 3 and 8 relate to the investigation of Antonio’s murder. Request

No. 5 relates to an open juvenile delinquency case involving gang activity.

               CCPO objected to each of these requests asserting that the

documents requested were protected from disclosure by the law enforcement

investigatory privilege.

               Parra subsequently filed a motion to compel production of the

documents sought in request Nos. 3, 5, and 8 of the subpoena to CCPO on July 2,

2021.1 On July 9, 2021, CCPO filed a motion to quash the subpoena and a motion

for a protective order asserting that request Nos. 3, 5, and 8 were not subject to

production under the law enforcement investigatory privilege.2

      1 Parra’s motion to compel also sought documents responsive to subpoena request
No. 6, which sought documents related to the former mayor’s grandson, Frank Q. Jackson.
Frank Q. Jackson died on September 19, 2021. Several cases and investigations involving
him were abated by his death. As a result, CCPO supplemented its production to Parra.
The parties agree that request No. 6 is not at issue in this appeal.

      2  CCPO also asserted work-product privilege related to certain documents. The
trial court ordered the work-product documents were not subject to production. Those
documents are not at issue in this appeal.
               On September 6, 2021, the trial court ordered CCPO to “produce all

of the documents in its possession that are responsive to Parra’s subpoena requests

numbered 3, 5, * * * and 8 for an in camera inspection by the court.”

               After conducting an in camera review of the documents responsive to

request Nos. 3, 5, and 8, the trial court granted in part and denied in part CCPO’s

motion for a protective order, ordering CCPO to produce various specific documents

while concluding that others were protected. It is from this order that CCPO

appeals.

II. Law and Analysis

               CCPO raises the following two assignments of error that we will

analyze together for ease of discussion:

      The trial court erred in ordering CCPO to provide the plaintiff in a civil
      case records relating to an open ongoing homicide investigation
      because the records are protected by the law-enforcement investigatory
      privilege.

      The trial court erred in ordering CCPO to provide the plaintiff in a civil
      case records relating to an open pending juvenile delinquency case
      because the records are protected by the law-enforcement investigatory
      privilege.

      A. Standard of Review

               “Appellate courts generally review a discovery dispute under an

abuse-of-discretion standard, but if the dispute involves an alleged privilege, it is a

question of law, subject to de novo review.” Friedenberg v. Friedenberg, 161 Ohio

St.3d 98, 2020-Ohio-3345, 161 N.E.3d 546, ¶ 22, citing Ward v. Summa Health

Sys., 128 Ohio St.3d 212, 2010-Ohio-6275, 943 N.E.2d 514, ¶ 13. Courts of appeals
across the state conduct a de novo review when the law enforcement investigative

privilege is at issue. See, e.g., J&C Marketing, L.L.C. v. McGinty, 2013-Ohio-4805,

4 N.E.3d 1063, ¶ 9 (8th Dist.), aff’d, J&C Marketing, L.L.C. v. McGinty, 143 Ohio

St.3d 315, 2015-Ohio-1310, 37 N.E.3d 1183; Autumn Health Care of Zanesville,

L.L.C. v. DeWine, 10th Dist. Franklin No. 14AP-593, 2015-Ohio-2655, ¶ 12;

Nationwide Agribusiness Ins. Co. v. Heidler, 12th Dist. Clinton Nos. CA2018-06-

003, CA2018-07-004, CA2018-09-012, and CA2018-09-015, 2019-Ohio-4311, ¶ 39.

               Parra asserts that the correct standard of review is an abuse-of-

discretion standard. We disagree. Here, the dispute relates to the alleged law

enforcement investigatory privilege; therefore, we review de novo whether the

documents the trial court ordered CCPO to produce are privileged.

      B. Law Enforcement Investigatory Privilege

               Civ.R. 26(B) states:

      Parties may obtain discovery regarding any nonprivileged matter that
      is relevant to any party’s claim or defense and proportional to the needs
      of the case * * *.

               “The common law recognizes a qualified privilege for law

enforcement investigatory information, including confidential sources, surveillance

information, and law-enforcement techniques and procedures.” J&C Marketing,

L.L.C, 143 Ohio St.3d 315, 2015-Ohio-1310, 37 N.E.3d 1183, at ¶ 17. “A strong

presumption militates against lifting the privilege.” Id. at ¶ 18, citing Dinler v. New

York (In re New York), 607 F.3d 923, 929 (2d Cir.2010). The privilege, however,

must “‘give way’” when the information is “‘relevant and helpful to the defense of an
accused, or is essential to a fair determination of a cause * * *.’” Id. at ¶ 18, quoting

Roviaro v. United States, 353 U.S. 53, 60-61, 77 S.Ct. 623, 1 L.Ed.2d 639 (1957).

               “[I]nformation related to a law-enforcement investigation is

protected from disclosure in civil litigation unless the party seeking discovery

demonstrates that it has a compelling need for the information and that that need

outweighs the public’s interest in keeping the information confidential.” J&C

Marketing L.L.C. at ¶ 22. In Henneman v. Toledo, 35 Ohio St.3d 241, 241, 520

N.E.2d 207 (1988), the Ohio Supreme Court adopted the ten-factor balancing test

articulated in Frankenhauser v. Rizzo, 59 F.R.D. 339, 344 (E.D.Pa.1973), to analyze

whether the requesting party’s compelling need for the information outweighs the

public’s interest in protecting it. See also J&C Marketing, L.L.C.

               The Frankenhauser factors are:

      (1) the extent to which disclosure will thwart governmental processes
      by discouraging citizens from giving the government information; (2)
      the impact upon persons who have given information of having their
      identities disclosed; (3) the degree to which governmental self-
      evaluation and consequent program improvement will be chilled by
      disclosure; (4) whether the information sought is factual data or
      evaluative summary; (5) whether the party seeking the discovery is an
      actual or potential defendant in any criminal proceeding either pending
      or reasonably likely to follow from the incident in question; (6) whether
      the police investigation has been completed; (7) whether any
      intradepartmental disciplinary proceedings have arisen or may arise
      from the investigation; (8) whether the plaintiff’s suit is non-frivolous
      and brought in good faith; (9) whether the information sought is
      available through other discovery or from other sources; and (10) the
      importance of the information sought to the plaintiff’s case.

Frankenhauser at 344.
              Before weighing the Frankenhauser factors, we note that the three

disks provided to the trial court for in camera inspection contain thousands of

documents, videos, audio files, and photographs. After conducting its in camera

review, the trial court ordered production of thousands of pages of documents and

other materials including the following: 911 calls; photos of suspects, crime scenes,

and surveillance; social-media posts; video-surveillance footage; weapons test-fire

results; criminal and juvenile delinquency histories; school records; phone

extractions; search warrants; grand jury subpoenas; police notes and evaluations;

police reports; HIPAA authorization forms; witness statements; rosters of gang

members; “gang reports”; and emails.

              The materials the trial court ordered produced identify witnesses and

persons of interest, and disclose police impressions and evaluations reflected in

timelines, investigative summaries, and communication charts, among other

information. Additionally, we note that there are discrepancies within the trial

court’s production order. For example, the trial court ordered CCPO to produce

documents on Disk 1 Bates-stamped 976-983. However, it granted CCPO’s request

for a protective order regarding the very same documents found on Disk 2.

              After conducting our own in camera review, we turn to the

Frankenhauser factors to determine whether Parra’s need for the disputed

information is compelling and outweighs the public’s interest in keeping it

confidential. The Frankenhauser factors will be analyzed out of order for ease of

discussion.
               At the outset, we note that there is little case law in Ohio analyzing or

applying the law enforcement investigatory privilege, none of which addresses facts

similar to this case. However, in Pinner v. Hartford Life & Acc. Co., S.D.Ind.

No. 1:09-cv-00201-WTL-JMS, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151039, 9 (Nov. 20, 2009),

the Southern District of Indiana utilized the Frankenhauser factors when a plaintiff

in a civil case requested the complete investigatory file for an open, ongoing

homicide investigation.

               In Pinner, a life insurance company requested the police

department’s investigatory file related to the murder of one of its insureds, asserting

that it needed the information to determine coverage because it suspected the

insured was committing a felony at the time of his death that would preclude

coverage under the policy. After weighing all ten of the factors, the Pinner Court

determined that the public interest in keeping all of the documents at issue

confidential outweighed the plaintiff’s need. The court found that

      The nature of the crime and of the information presented for in
      camera review make even an attorneys’-eyes only protective order
      insufficient to guard against the potential harm that disclosure might
      entail, to cooperating witnesses and to the [police department’s] overall
      investigation—particularly given [the plaintiff’s] meager investigation.

Pinner at 9. We find Pinner helpful to our in camera review given the similar nature

of the requested documents.

               We begin by analyzing the first two Frankenhauser factors together

because they are closely related. These factors relate to witnesses, information they

have given to law enforcement, and the impact that production of documents in a
civil case may have on both law enforcement and the witnesses. When analyzing

these two factors in relation to documents subpoenaed from an open homicide

investigation file, the Pinner Court found:

      When witnesses cooperate with law enforcement, they risk potential
      retaliation. Where, as here, the perpetrator is a violent individual, that
      risk may well be a substantial one. So long as [the] killer remains at
      large, disclosing witness identities and/or information traceable to
      particular witnesses would discourage future cooperation and would
      jeopardize the safety of those witnesses who have already cooperated
      with the police.

Pinner at 4. Here, the perpetrator of Antonio’s murder has yet to be apprehended.

As noted by the trial court, the documents responsive to Parra’s requests disclose

detailed information related to suspects involved in that violent crime, as well as

gang members and gang activity. We find that, while the perpetrators of the violent

crimes remain at large, the disclosure of witness identities or other information

traceable to a witness could discourage witness cooperation in the future and

jeopardize witness safety.

              Under the third and seventh factors, courts consider “the degree to

which governmental self-evaluation and consequent program improvement will be

chilled by disclosure” and whether the investigation relates to disciplinary

proceedings. Frankenhauser, 59 F.R.D., at 344. CCPO concedes that the third and

seventh factors do not apply to this case. CCPO stated that “this matter does not

involve a government self-evaluation” and that “[t]he underlying records do not

involve an intradepartmental disciplinary proceeding or disciplinary investigation.”
We agree. None the documents requested by Parra relate to intradepartmental

disciplinary proceedings or “governmental self-evaluation.”

               The fourth factor considers whether the information requested is

“factual data or evaluative summary.” Frankenhauser at 344. When a civil litigant

attempts “to free ride on [law enforcement’s] investigatory legwork * * * its claim to

discover even factual data” is “severely undercut[.]” Pinner, S.D.Ind. No. 1:09-cv-

00201-WTL-JMS, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151039, at 6. Our review of the documents

at issue reveals that the disks contain both types of information. That a particular

individual or fact is being scrutinized during an ongoing investigation is inextricably

intertwined with CCPO’s evaluation of information it is gathering, making it

virtually impossible to separate factual from evaluative information.            Even

documents reflecting primarily factual data may reveal CCPO’s evaluative or

investigative strategies. Parra seeks all documents — both factual and evaluative —

related to Antonio’s ongoing murder investigation and to the pending juvenile

delinquency case. Due to the interconnected and overlapping factual and evaluative

nature of the information in the documents, to the extent it would even be possible,

it would be a significant burden to separate evaluative summary from factual data.

               Next, we consider the fifth factor, whether Parra is or may become a

potential criminal defendant with respect to the underlying investigation. Here,

neither party argues that Parra is a possible suspect in either Antonio’s homicide or

the open juvenile delinquency case. Nothing in the record indicates that it is likely

that she will become one in the future.
               In contrast to this case, in J&C Marketing, L.L.C., 2013-Ohio-4805,

4 N.E.3d 1063, this court partially upheld a trial court’s order that lifted the law

enforcement investigatory privilege when the civil litigant requesting the documents

was a potential criminal defendant.       In that case, the civil litigants operated

sweepstakes cafés that received cease-and-desist letters from CCPO claiming that

the cafes were suspected of violating “several Ohio gambling laws” and that they

must cease operation or face criminal prosecution. Id. at ¶ 2. In determining that

the trial court correctly ordered disclosure of documents subpoenaed from CCPO,

this court found that some of the factual information requested was “directly

relevant to the alleged conduct of the internet sweepstakes cafés involved in this case

because any factual disputes regarding the nature of their business must necessarily

be resolved prior to the ultimate resolution of the legal question at the heart of this

declaratory judgment action.” Id. at ¶ 25. The Ohio Supreme Court affirmed this

court’s opinion, noting that in J&C Marketing, the civil plaintiffs’ “interests in

obtaining discovery [were] also strong, because by issuing the cease-and-desist

letter, the prosecuting attorney in effect shut down [their] business, even though the

business had never even been charged with violating the law.” J&C Marketing

L.L.C., 143 Ohio St.3d 315, 2015-Ohio-1310, 37 N.E.3d 1183, at ¶ 20. Here, Parra’s

interest in proving her wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress,

and obstruction of justice claims does not carry with it the same need demonstrated

by the J&C Marketing plaintiffs who were potential criminal defendants.
               The sixth factor instructs us to consider whether the police

investigation has been completed. Frankenhauser, 59 F.R.D. at 344. As stated, both

the investigation into Antonio’s homicide and the juvenile delinquency case are

open and ongoing. We note that CCPO has produced documents to Parra from its

case files when the prosecutions have been completed or when investigations have

closed. For example, when Frank Q. Jackson died, CCPO closed several of its

investigations related to him and produced documents where the investigations

were abated by his death.

               CCPO claims that the eighth factor, which considers whether the case

is nonfrivolous and was brought in good faith, does not apply to the facts of this case.

We disagree. CCPO states that “as a non-party to the underlying case [it] will not

weigh into the debate as to whether Parra’s complaint is frivolous or brought in bad

faith” and argues that requiring a lawsuit to be “‘non-frivolous’ is a low bar.”

Nonetheless, whether Parra’s case is nonfrivolous is one of the factors the Ohio

Supreme Court instructs this court to consider. Nothing in the record indicates

Parra’s case is frivolous or was brought in bad faith.

               Under the ninth factor, the court reviews “whether the information

sought is available through other discovery or from other sources.” Frankenhauser,

59 F.R.D. at 344. Here the record reflects that a similar subpoena was issued to the

Cleveland Police Department. Whether the police department produced documents

was not part of the record. Furthermore, while the record reflects that Parra has

issued written discovery requests to defendant Frank G. Jackson, the specifics of
those requests and whether any documents or written responses were produced is

not part of the record before this court. The record is also silent as to whether any

discovery was issued to Calvin Williams or whether any depositions have been

taken. Thus, Parra has not demonstrated that she is unable to receive information

elsewhere.

              Finally, the court must consider the importance of the information

sought to this litigation. Frankenhauser, 59 F.R.D. at 344. CCPO asserts that the

requested information is not important to Parra’s claims because she “has failed to

establish how the investigation records relate to” them. We agree. Parra’s claims

for wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and obstruction of

justice are based on her allegations that the former mayor obstructed the

prosecution of his grandson for an assault of an 18-year-old and that both

defendants interfered in the investigation of Antonio’s murder. The substance of

the entirety of CCPO’s files, which include its investigative tactics, theories,

evaluations, and processes, is not likely to lead to the discovery of admissible

evidence related to Parra’s claims.

              After conducting our independent in camera review of the documents

requested by Parra, weighing all of the Frankenhauser factors, and acknowledging

the strong presumption against lifting the privilege, we find that Parra has not

established a compelling need for the requested documents that outweighs the

public’s interest in keeping the vast majority of them confidential. We find that the

protective order in place is not strong enough to outweigh the public’s interest in
keeping this information confidential. See Pinner, S.D.Ind. No. 1:09-cv-00201-

WTL-JMS, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151039, at 9 (“The nature of the crime and the

information presented for in camera review make even an attorneys’-eyes-only-

protective order insufficient * * *.”). (Emphasis deleted.)

              However, we find that email communications between Parra’s

counsel and CCPO found at documents Bates-stamped 46-49, 51-52 from Disk A,

the Parra Investigation Disk are factual in nature and nothing in the record suggests

that they were used in the CCPO criminal investigations. Therefore, the public does

not have an interest in keeping them confidential. These documents should be

produced.

              Accordingly, CCPO’s first assignment of error is sustained in part and

overruled in part. CCPO’s second assignment of error is sustained.

              Judgment affirmed in part and reversed in part. This matter is

remanded to the trial court for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

      It is ordered that appellant and appellee share costs herein taxed.

      The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.

      It is ordered that a special mandate be sent to said court to carry this judgment

into execution.
      A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27

of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.

LISA B. FORBES, JUDGE

FRANK DANIEL CELEBREZZE, III, P.J., and
MICHELLE J. SHEEHAN, J., CONCUR