State ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes, No. 77-1207

CourtUnited States State Supreme Court of Ohio
Writing for the CourtPER CURIAM; C. WILLIAM O'NEILL
Citation8 O.O.3d 36,374 N.E.2d 641,54 Ohio St.2d 41
Docket NumberNo. 77-1207
Decision Date12 April 1978
Parties, 8 O.O.3d 36 The STATE ex rel. HARRIS v. RHODES, Governor, et al.

Page 41

54 Ohio St.2d 41
374 N.E.2d 641, 8 O.O.3d 36
The STATE ex rel. HARRIS
v.
RHODES, Governor, et al.
No. 77-1207.
Supreme Court of Ohio.
April 12, 1978.

On August 25, 1977, relator, Christopher Harris, who is a prisoner in the Correctional Medical and Reception Center in Columbus, requested the clerk of that institution to produce certain documents pertaining to relator. The written request was refused.

On October 20, 1977, relator filed in this court a complaint in mandamus to compel respondent clerk "to produce for inspection and copying all documents in his possession or under his control."

Page 42

Christopher Harris, pro se.

William J. Brown, Atty. Gen., and Allen P. Adler, Columbus, for respondents.

PER CURIAM.

In order to be entitled to a writ of mandamus, relator must show (1) that he has a clear legal right to the relief prayed for, (2) that respondents are under a clear legal duty to perform the acts, and (3) that relator has no plain and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of the law. State, ex rel. National City Bank, v. Bd. of Education (1977), 52 Ohio St.2d 81, 369 N.E.2d 1200.

Relator asserts that the requested records are "public records" which, pursuant to R.C. 149.43, "shall be open at all reasonable times for inspection."

However, the requested records are not public records under R.C. 149.43, which states, in part:

" '(P)ublic record' means any record required to be kept by any governmental unit * * * except records pertaining to physical or psychiatric examinations, * * * probation and parole proceedings, and records the release of which is prohibited by state * * * law." (Emphasis added.)

[374 N.E.2d 642] Records and files of prisoners are compiled pursuant to R.C. 5145.04, 5145.20 and 5145.22. These records are maintained under R.C. 5120.21, which states, in part:

"The department of rehabilitation and correction shall keep in its office, accessible only to its employees, * * * a record showing the name, residence, sex, age, nativity, occupation, condition, and date of entrance or commitment of every inmate in the several institutions governed by it * * *." (Emphasis added.)

Relator has shown no clear legal right to the relief prayed for. Therefore, the writ of mandamus is denied.

Writ denied.

C. WILLIAM O'NEILL, C. J., and HERBERT, CELEBREZZE, WILLIAM B. BROWN, PAUL W. BROWN, SWEENEY and LOCHER, JJ., concur.

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258 practice notes
  • State ex rel. Brown v. Ashtabula Cnty. Bd. of Elections, No. 2014–1405.
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • September 16, 2014
    ...to perform the requested relief, and (3) there must be no adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law. State ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes, 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 374 N.E.2d 641 (1978). {¶ 10} And as we explained in State ex rel. Pressley v. Indus. Comm., 11 Ohio St.2d 141, 228 N.E.2d 631 (1967),"t......
  • State ex rel. Heller v. Miller, No. 79-161
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • January 2, 1980
    ...clear legal duty to perform the requested act, and that relator has no plain and adequate remedy at law. (State ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 374 N.E.2d 2. In actions instituted by the state to force the permanent, involuntary termination of parental rights, the United States a......
  • State ex rel. Hogan Lovells U.S., L.L.P. v. Ohio Dep't of Rehab. & Corr., 2019-1511
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • May 26, 2021
    ...department or the order of the judge of a court of record, and except as provided in division (C)." See State ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes , 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 42, 374 N.E.2d 641 (1978) (holding that this language exempts records from disclosure under Ohio's Public Records Act). R.C. 5120.21(D) ......
  • State ex rel. Ohio Council 8, American Federation of State, County and Mun. Employees, AFL-CIO v. Spellacy, AFL-CIO
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • May 22, 1985
    ...the law." State, ex rel. Berger v. McMonagle (1983), 6 Ohio St.3d 28, 29, 451 N.E.2d 225, citing State, ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 42, 374 N.E.2d 641 [8 O.O.3d 36]; State, ex rel. Heller v. Miller (1980), 61 Ohio St.2d 6, 399 N.E.2d 66 [15 O.O.3d 3], paragraph one of......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
258 cases
  • State ex rel. Brown v. Ashtabula Cnty. Bd. of Elections, No. 2014–1405.
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • September 16, 2014
    ...to perform the requested relief, and (3) there must be no adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law. State ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes, 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 374 N.E.2d 641 (1978). {¶ 10} And as we explained in State ex rel. Pressley v. Indus. Comm., 11 Ohio St.2d 141, 228 N.E.2d 631 (1967),"t......
  • State ex rel. Heller v. Miller, No. 79-161
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • January 2, 1980
    ...clear legal duty to perform the requested act, and that relator has no plain and adequate remedy at law. (State ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 374 N.E.2d 2. In actions instituted by the state to force the permanent, involuntary termination of parental rights, the United States a......
  • State ex rel. Hogan Lovells U.S., L.L.P. v. Ohio Dep't of Rehab. & Corr., 2019-1511
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • May 26, 2021
    ...department or the order of the judge of a court of record, and except as provided in division (C)." See State ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes , 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 42, 374 N.E.2d 641 (1978) (holding that this language exempts records from disclosure under Ohio's Public Records Act). R.C. 5120.21(D) ......
  • State ex rel. Ohio Council 8, American Federation of State, County and Mun. Employees, AFL-CIO v. Spellacy, AFL-CIO
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Ohio
    • May 22, 1985
    ...the law." State, ex rel. Berger v. McMonagle (1983), 6 Ohio St.3d 28, 29, 451 N.E.2d 225, citing State, ex rel. Harris v. Rhodes (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 41, 42, 374 N.E.2d 641 [8 O.O.3d 36]; State, ex rel. Heller v. Miller (1980), 61 Ohio St.2d 6, 399 N.E.2d 66 [15 O.O.3d 3], paragraph one of......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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