Court Opinion

ID: 9883001
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-05 22:23:04.895363+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:20.538839
License: Public Domain

[Cite as Jones v. Allen Cty. Common Pleas Court, 2023-Ohio-2324.]

                             IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS OF OHIO

 BRANDON MICHAEL JONES                                 Case No. 2023-00351PQ

        Requester                                      Judge Lisa L. Sadler

        v.                                             JUDGMENT ENTRY

 ALLEN COUNTY COMMON PLEAS
 COURT

        Respondent

        {¶1} In this public-records case, pursuant to R.C. 2743.75(D)(2), a Special Master
has issued a Recommendation To Dismiss. The Special Master recommends dismissal
of Requester’s Complaint for failure to state a claim because Requester’s public-records
requests were not made to Respondent and, consequently, Requester has not been
aggrieved by Respondent’s alleged failure to provide the requested public records. See
State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v. Deters, 148 Ohio St.3d 595, 2016-Ohio-8195, 71
N.E.3d 1076, ¶ 20 (“[i]t is axiomatic that in order to be a person aggrieved by the failure
of a public office to promptly respond to a public-records request, one must first request
records from the public office”).
        {¶2} Upon      independent       review,     the    Court   finds   the   Special   Master’s
recommendation is well taken. A review of Requester’s Complaint and accompanying
attachments discloses that Requester has made public-records requests to persons and
entities other than Respondent. Requester therefore is not aggrieved by Respondent’s
alleged failure to produce the requested public records. See Deters, supra, at ¶ 20.
Case No. 2023-00351PQ                              -2-                           JUDGMENT ENTRY

         {¶3} Pursuant         to   R.C.   2743.75(D)(2),    and     upon     the   Special     Master’s
recommendation, the Court sua sponte dismisses Requester’s Complaint.1 Court costs
are assessed against Requester. The Clerk shall serve upon all parties notice of this
judgment and its date of entry upon the journal.

                                                  LISA L. SADLER
                                                  Judge

Filed June 7, 2023
Sent to S.C. Reporter 7/7/23

1        Under R.C. 2743.75(D)(2), “[n]otwithstanding any provision to the contrary in [R.C. 2743.75], upon
the recommendation of the special master, the court of claims on its own motion may dismiss [a] complaint
at any time.”