State ex rel. Internatl. Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local #3 v. Cuyahoga Cty. Court of Common Pleas, 2006 Ohio 274 (OH 1/20/2006), 85116.

• Decision Date: 20 January 2006
• Docket Number: No. 85116.,85116.
• Citation: 2006 Ohio 274
• Parties: S/O Ex Rel., International Original Action Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local #3 Relators v. Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County Respondent.
• Court: Ohio Supreme Court

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2006 Ohio 274

S/O Ex Rel., International Original Action Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local #3 Relators v. Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County Respondent.

No. 85116.

Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth District, Cuyahoga County.

Date of Journalization: January 20, 2006.

Writ of Mandamus, Prohibition and Procedendo.

Writ Denied. Motion Nos. 364124, 363390, 364128, 364117, 364108 and 379351, Order No. 379404.

Michael V. Kelley, James L. Ferraro, John A. Sivinski, Thomas M. Wilson, Anthony Gallucci, Kelley & Ferraro LLP, 1300 East Ninth St., 1901 Penton Media Building, Cleveland, OH 44114, For Relators, State of Ohio, Ex Rel. International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers, Local #3; Cement Masons' Local Union No. 404; United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of The Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, Local No. 55; United Steelworkers of America Golden Lodge Local 1123;

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United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of American, Local 751; Arnold Barzak; Pearl Peterson; and Ellen D. Porter.

John R. Climaco, Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox & Garofoli Co.,. L.P.A., Ninth Floor, The Halle Bldg., 1228 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1802, for Relators, Pipefitters Local #120 and Boilermakers Local #744.

William D. Mason, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, Charles E. Hannan, Jr., Assistant County Prosecutor, Justice Center, 8th Floor, 1200 Ontario Street, Cleveland, Oh 44113, for Respondent, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

Jim Petro, Attorney General of Ohio, D. Michael Grodhaus, First Assistant Attorney General, Sharon A. Jennings, Richard Coglianese, Assistant Attorneys General, 30 East Broad Street, 17th Fl., Columbus, Oh 43215-3400, for Intervenor-Respondent, Attorney General, Jim Petro.

Richard D. Schuster, Nina I. Webb-Lawton, John P. Gartland, Lisa Babish Forbes, Vorys, Sater Seymour and Pease LLP, 52 East Gay St., P. O. Box 1008, Columbus, OH 43216-1008, for Intervenors-Respondents, Amchem Products, Inc.,; American Standard, Inc.; CertainTeed Corporation; Dana Corporation; Foseco, Inc.; Goodrich Corporation; The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; Union Carbide Corporation, Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Co.; KCAC, Inc.; Aventis Cropscience USA, Inc., as Successor In Interest to Amchem Products, Inc.; Bayer Cropscience, Inc.; ACS USA, Inc., Aventis Cropscience USA, Inc., as Successor-In-Interest

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to Rhone Poulenc AG Company, Successor-in-Interest to the Amchem Products Company; H.B. Fuller Company; Allied Chemical, Inc.; Wilputte Coke Oven; Westinghouse Air Brake Company.

Robin E. Harvey, Baker & Hostetler LLP, 312 Walnut St., Suite 3200, Cincinnati, OH 45202-4038, for Intervenor-Respondent, Uniroyal Holding, Inc.

Bruce P. Mandel, Kurt S. Sigfried, Ulmer & Berne LLP., 900 Penton Media Bldg., 1300 East Ninth St., Cleveland, OH 44114-1583, for Intervenors-Respondents, Borg-Warner Corporation; Ceecorp, Inc. dba The Cleveland Gypsum Co. f/k/a the Cleveland Builders Supply Company; Dossert Corporation; Durabla Manufacturing Company; Duro Dyne Corporation; The Edward R. Hart Company; Essex Group, Inc.; H.B. Fuller Company; Kentile Floors, Inc.; The Minster Machine Company; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Standard Glove & Safety Equipment Company.

John W. Bruni, Swartz Campbell, LLC, 600 Grant Street Ste 4750, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2710, for Intervenors-Respondents, Allied Glove; Cooper Industries, Inc.; Hinchcliffe & Keener; Lexington Precision Corp.

Reginald S. Kramer, Oldham & Dowling, 195 South Main Street, Suite 300, Akron, OH 44308-1314, for Intervenors-Respondents, General Electric Company; Viacom, Inc., successor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation; Osram Sylvania, Inc.; Fairmont Supply Company; T H Agriculture & Nutrition, LLC; Mannington Mills, Inc.

Michael D. Eagen, Dinsmore & Shohl, 1900 Chemed Center, 255 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202, for Intervenors-Respondents, Norton Company; New York Air Brake; Lindberg MPH; The Fairfield Engineering Company

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Jennifer Riester, Weston, Hurd, Fallon, Paisley & Howley, 2500 Terminal Tower, 50 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44113-2241, for Intervenors-Respondents, Engelhard Corporation; Fidelity Builders Supply; Stevens Painton Corporation; Graybar Electric Co., Inc.; Morton International, Inc., a Rohm & Haas Company; The Dow Chemical Company.

Robert A. Bunda, Bunda Stutz & Dewitt, One Seagate, Suite 650, Toledo, OH 43604, for Intervenors-Respondents, Owens Illinois, Inc.; National Service Industries, Inc.

Ruth A. Antinone, Willman & Arnold, L.L.P., 705 Mcknight Park Drive, P.O. Box 15237, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, for Intervenors-Respondents, ABB Power T & D Company, Inc., a/k/a BBC Brown Boveri, Inc.; Oakfabco, Inc.; and Sure Seal Products Company, Inc.

C. Richard Mcdonald, Davis & Young, 1700 Midland Building, 101 Prospect Avenue West, Cleveland, OH 44115, for Intervenor-Respondent, Nock Refractories Company.

Irene C. Keyse-Walker, Henry E. Billingsley III, Joseph J. Morford, Jeffrey A. Healy, Tucker Ellis & West LLP, 1150 Huntington Building, 925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1475, for Intervenors-Respondents, Lincoln Electric Company; Hobart Brother's Company; Marsh USA, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation, as Successor-in-Interest to Abex Corporation; A. W. Chesterton Company.

Matthew C. O'Connell, Sutter, O'Connell, Mannion & Farchione, 1301 East Ninth Street, 3600 Erieview Tower, Cleveland, OH 44114, for Intervenors-Respondents, DaimlerChrysler Corporation; and Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC.

Richard J. Desantis, Daniel P. Carter, Jeffrey W. Ruple, Lorraine Debose, Buckley, King & Bluso,

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1400 Fifth Third Center, 600 Superior Avenue, East, Cleveland, OH 44114-2652, for Intervenors-Respondents, Melrath Gasket, Inc.; Plaslok Corporation; and International Talc.

Robert Spinelli, W. Matthew Reber, John A. Kristan, Kelley, Jasons, Mcguire & Spinelli, 629 Euclid Ave., Suite 1037, Cleveland, OH 44114, for Intervenor-Respondent, Clark Industrial Insulation.

Dennis P. Zapka, David H. Boehm, Mclaughlin & Mccaffrey, LLP, Eaton Center, Suite 1350, 1111 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114-2500, for Intervenor-Respondent, R. E. Kramig & Company, Inc.

Susan S. Henderson, Eileen M. Joyce, Baughman & Associates Co., L.P.A., 55 Public Square, Suite 2215, Cleveland, OH 44113-1996, for Intervenor-Respondent, S/B Decking, Inc., f/k/a Selby Battersby & Company.

Kevin C. Alexandersen, Daniel J. Michalec, Gallagher, Sharp, Fulton & Norman, 7th Floor, Bulkley Building, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, for Intervenors-Respondents, Beazer East, Inc.; Tasco Insulation, Inc.; Allen Refractories, Inc.; Osborne, Inc.; Ingersoll Rand Company; Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Company; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Carlisle Companies, Inc.; Motion Controls Industries; Safety First Industries, Inc.; O'Connor Steel & Supply Co.; Allis Chalmers Product Liability Trust; Cyprus Industries Minerals Company; Bryan Steam Corp.; Burnham Corp.; American Biltrite, Inc.; Phelps Dodge Industries, Inc.; Smith & Obey Company; C.D. Center Corporation; Sherwin Williams Company; G.W. Berkheimer Co., Inc.; Fulton Iron and Manufacturing, Inc.; The Detroit Edison Company; Sur Seal Gasket, Packing Co., Inc.; and Industrial Contractors, Inc.

Mark I. Wallach, Michael E. Brittain, Alexander E. Gertsburg, Calfee, Halter & Griswold, 800 Superior Avenue, 1400 McDonald Investment Ctr., Cleveland, OH 44114, for Intervenor-Respondent, Bondex International, Inc.

Thomas E. Dover, Kevin C. Alexandersen, Colleen A. Mountcastle, Gallagher, Sharp, Fulton & Norman, Seventh Floor, Bulkley Bldg, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, for Intervenors-Respondents, Norfolk Southern Railway Company; Consolidated Rail Corporation; American Premier Underwriters, Inc.; CSX Transportation, Inc.; and Grand Trunk Western Railroad Corporation.

Kurtis A. Tunnell, Anne Marie Sferra, Vladimir P. Belo, Bricker & Eckler LLP, 100 South Third Street, Columbus, OH 43215-4291, for Amici, Curiae, Council of Smaller Enterprises; Ohio Manufacturers' Association; National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio; Ohio Chamber of Commerce; Ohio Alliance For Civil Justice; and Ohio Chemistry and Technology Council.

Irene C. Keyse-Walker, Tucker Ellis & West LLP, 1150 Huntimgton Building, 925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1475, for Amicus Curiae, Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys.

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION

JUDGE MICHAEL J. CORRIGAN:

{¶1} Relators are: several unions who aver that their members

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have been and continue to be injured by asbestos as a result of work-related exposure; and three individuals who are plaintiffs in various asbestos actions. Respondent is the court of common pleas which hears these asbestos actions.

{¶2} Relators challenge the constitutionality of Am.Sub.H.B. No. 292, 150 Ohio Laws ___ ("Asbestos Litigation Bill" or the "Bill"). The effective date of the Bill was September 2, 2004. Relators complain that H.B. 292 prevents plaintiffs from prosecuting their claims due to several provisions:

a. plaintiffs must meet the "minimum requirements" by presenting evidence of exposure and diagnosis regarding the relevant condition.

b. if plaintiffs do not make a "prima facie" showing by filing a "written report and supporting test results" establishing the "minimum requirements," the trial court may "administratively dismiss" the case.

c. plaintiffs must demonstrate "actual fraud" in order to maintain a claim against a shareholder.

Relators challenge the Asbestos Litigation Bill as unconstitutional under the Ohio Constitution because:

1. The Bill expressly authorizes that application of the provisions summarized above both to claims that were pending on or which accrued prior to the September 2, 2004 effective date of the Bill;

2. The Bill violates the Open Courts Provision by depriving relators of a remedy; and

3. The Bill infringes on the Supreme Court's rule-making authority.

{¶3} With respect...