Opinion
No. 110215
04-06-2021
STATE OF OHIO EX REL., TIMOTHY NEWELL, Relator, v. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OHIO, Respondent.
Appearances: Timothy Newell, pro se. Michael C. O'Malley, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney, and James E. Moss, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for respondent.
JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION JUDGMENT: COMPLAINT DISMISSED Writ of Mandamus
Motion No. 543665
Order No. 545403
Appearances:
Timothy Newell, pro se. Michael C. O'Malley, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney, and James E. Moss, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for respondent. EILEEN A. GALLAGHER, J.:
{¶ 1} Timothy Newell has filed a complaint for a writ of mandamus. Newell seeks an order from this court that requires the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to "vacate its journal entries of January 10, 1979, modifying his [sentencing journal entries] of December 29, 1978, to read Columbus Correctional Facility instead of Ohio State Reformatory" in State v. Newell, Cuyahoga C.P. Nos. CR-78-040130 and CR-78-040174. Newell argues that the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas "patently and unambiguously lacked subject matter jurisdiction to modify his sentences on January 10, 1979, after his notices of appeal were filed on January 8, 1979" in State v. Newell, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga Nos. CR-78-040344 and CR-78-040335. The Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas has filed a motion to dismiss that is granted for the following reasons.
{¶ 2} Initially, we find that Newell's complaint for a writ of mandamus is procedurally defective for failure to comply with R.C. 2969.25(A) and (C). The complaint fails to contain a sworn affidavit that contains a description of each civil action or appeal filed in the previous five years as required by R.C. 2969.25(A). State v. Henton, 146 Ohio St.3d 9, 2016-Ohio-1518, 50 N.E.3d 533. The complaint also fails to contain a statement certified by the institutional cashier setting forth the balance in the inmate's account for the preceding six months per R.C. 2969.25(C). State ex rel. Neil v. French, 153 Ohio St.3d 271, 2018-Ohio-2692, 104 N.E.3d 764. Finally, the failure to comply with R.C. 2969.25(A) and (C) cannot be cured by an amended complaint. State ex rel. Hall v. Mohr, 140 Ohio St.3d 297, 2014-Ohio-3735, 17 N.E.3d 581.
{¶ 3} In addition, we find that the doctrine of res judicata prevents this court from once again addressing the issue raised by Newell through his complaint for a writ of mandamus. The Supreme Court of Ohio, in O'Nesti v. DeBartolo Realty Corp., 113 Ohio St.3d 59, 2007-Ohio-1102, 862 N.E.2d 803, reaffirmed the application of the doctrine of res judicata and held that:
The doctrine of res judicata encompasses the two related concepts of claim preclusion, also known as res judicata or estoppel by judgment, and issue preclusion, also known as collateral estoppel. Grava v. Parkman Twp. (1995), 73 Ohio St.3d 379, 381, 1995 Ohio 331, 653 N.E.2d 226. Claim preclusion prevents subsequent actions, by the same parties or their privies, based upon any claim arising out of a transaction that was the subject matter of a previous action. Fort Frye Teachers Assn., OEA/NEA v. State Emp. Relations Bd. (1998), 81 Ohio St.3d 392, 395, 1998 Ohio 435, 692 N.E.2d 140. Where a claim could have been litigated in the previous suit, claim preclusion also bars subsequent actions on that matter. Grava, 73 Ohio St.3d at 382, 653 N.E.2d 226.O'Nesti v. DeBartolo, supra, at ¶ 6.
Issue preclusion, on the other hand, serves to prevent relitigation of any fact or point that was determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a previous action between the same parties or their privies. Fort Frye, 81 Ohio St.3d at 395, 692 N.E.2d 140. Issue preclusion applies even if the causes of action differ. Id.
{¶ 4} Herein, Newell has already attempted to litigate the issue that the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas lacked jurisdiction to issue a journal entry that conveyed him to the Columbus Correctional Facility and that his sentence should be vacated: 1) State v. Newell, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga Nos. 51767 and 51768, Ohio App.LEXIS 7032 (Mar. 5, 1987) — affirmed denial of petition for relief from judgment through which Newell argued that the trial court improperly modified his sentence to reflect incarceration at the Columbus Correctional Facility; 2) Newell v. Mohr, 6th Cir. No. 89-3698, 1990 U.S. App.LEXIS 9726 (June 14, 1990) — affirmed dismissal of petition for writ of habeas corpus through which Newell claimed that his conveyance to a penitentiary violated his due process rights; 3) State v. Newell, 77 Ohio St.3d 269, 1997-Ohio-76, 673 N.E.2d 1299 — affirmed denial of complaint for writ of mandamus to have Newell sent to a reformatory or released from prison; 4) Newell v. Anderson, 9th Dist. Lorain No. 05CA008812, 2006-Ohio-3291 — affirmed denial of writ of mandamus through which Newell claimed that he was erroneously sentenced to confinement in a penitentiary instead of a reformatory or entitled to be immediately released from incarceration; 5) State v. Newell, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 89016, 2007-Ohio-400 — denied petition for writ of habeas through which Newell claimed improper sentence of incarceration; 6) State ex rel. Newell v. Gaul, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 98326, 2012-Ohio-4068 — denied complaint for writ of mandamus through which Newell claimed that he was erroneously sentenced to confinement in a penitentiary instead of a reformatory or entitled to be immediately released from incarceration; and 7) State ex rel. Newell v. Ohio Adult Parole Auth., 160 Ohio St.3d 25, 2020-Ohio-967, 153 N.E.3d 25 — affirmed denial of complaint for writ of mandamus through which Newell argued that the trial court's sentencing journal entry was defective and thus he should be released from prison.
{¶ 5} The doctrine of res judicata bars Newell from once again raising the issue that the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas lacked jurisdiction to issue a journal entry that conveyed him to the Columbus Correctional Facility and that his sentence should be vacated. It must be noted that Newell possessed an adequate remedy at law, through an appeal, to raise the issue of a defective sentencing journal entry which prevents this court from issuing a writ of mandamus. State ex rel. Samples v. Heath, 135 Ohio St.3d 180, 2013-Ohio-66, 985 N.E.2d 457; State ex rel. Culgan v. Kimbler, 132 Ohio St.3d 480, 2012-Ohio-3310, 974 N.E.2d 88; State ex rel. Hudson v. Sutula, 131 Ohio St.3d 177, 2012-Ohio-554, 962 N.E.2d 798.
{¶ 6} Finally, we find Newell to be a vexatious litigator under Loc.App.R. 23. Newell's continued attempt to relitigate the issue that the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas lacked jurisdiction to issue a journal entry that conveyed him to the Columbus Correctional Facility and that his sentence should be vacated constitutes frivolous conduct pursuant to Loc.App.R. 23(A). Loc.App.R. 23(B) provides that a party that habitually, persistently, and without reasonable cause engages in frivolous conduct, may be declared a vexatious litigator. Newell has filed fourteen appeals and five original actions since 1980: 1) appeals filed in 8th Dist. Cuyahoga Nos. 40334, 51767, 51768, 54553, 54554, 83324, 84525, 85280, 90683, 90738, 90739, 92361, 97737, and 97738; 2) original actions filed in 8th Dist. Cuyahoga Nos. 68791, 89016, 90295, 98198, and 98326. In addition, several of the appeals were not reasonably grounded in fact or warranted by existing law.
{¶ 7} Consequently, Newell is prohibited from instituting any future legal proceedings in the Eighth District Court of Appeals without first obtaining leave. Newell is further prohibited from filing any proceedings in the Eighth District Court of Appeals without depositing the filing fee and security for costs required by Loc.App.R. 3(A). See State ex rel. McGrath v. McClelland, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 97209, 2012-Ohio-157. Any request to file an appeal or original action shall be submitted to the clerk of this court for the court's review.
{¶ 8} Accordingly, we grant the motion to dismiss filed by the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Costs to Newell. The court directs the clerk of courts to serve all parties with notice of this judgment and the date of entry upon the journal as required by Civ.R. 58(B).
{¶ 9} Complaint dismissed. /s/_________
EILEEN A. GALLAGHER, JUDGE SEAN C. GALLAGHER, P.J., and
LISA B. FORBES, J., CONCUR