Ohio Case Commentaries

“Beyond the Furrow”: Ohio Supreme Court Holds that Items Used in Intermediate Farming Steps Qualify for the R.C. 5739.02(B)(42)(n) Sales/Use-Tax Exemption

Date: Aug 15, 2025

“Beyond the Furrow”: Ohio Supreme Court Holds that Items Used in Intermediate Farming Steps Qualify for the R.C. 5739.02(B)(42)(n) Sales/Use-Tax Exemption 1. Introduction In Claugus Family Farm, L.P....

Affirming BTA’s Discretion in “Battles of Appraisals”: The Guide-Post Valuation Rule from Rover Pipeline, L.L.C. v. Harris

Date: Aug 15, 2025

Affirming BTA’s Discretion in “Battles of Appraisals” Rover Pipeline, L.L.C. v. Harris (2025-Ohio-2806) and the New Guide-Post Valuation Rule for Public-Utility Property Introduction The Supreme...

“State ex rel. Baker v. Treglia”: Ohio Supreme Court Affirms that Sexual-Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Records Are Exempt “Medical Records” Under the Public Records Act

Date: Aug 15, 2025

Commentary on State ex rel. Baker v. Treglia (2025-Ohio-2816) Ohio Supreme Court Confirms SANE Records’ Non-Disclosure and Clarifies Limits on Statutory Damages and Costs in Public-Records Actions 1....

“A Reasonable Period of Time”: The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Clarification of Response Deadlines under R.C. 149.43 in State ex rel. Castellon v. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office (2025-Ohio-2787)

Date: Aug 14, 2025

“A Reasonable Period of Time”: The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Clarification of Response Deadlines under R.C. 149.43 in State ex rel. Castellon v. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office (2025-Ohio-2787)...

“Enterprise-Activity Venue” in Ohio RICO Prosecutions: A Commentary on State v. Brown, 2025-Ohio-2804

Date: Aug 14, 2025

“Enterprise-Activity Venue” in Ohio RICO Prosecutions: A Comprehensive Commentary on State v. Brown, 2025-Ohio-2804 1. Introduction The Supreme Court of Ohio’s decision in State v. Brown...

“No Prior Relationship, No Explicit Threat, Still Stalking” – A Commentary on State v. Crawl, 2025-Ohio-2799

Date: Aug 14, 2025

“No Prior Relationship, No Explicit Threat, Still Stalking” – State v. Crawl Creates a Clear Rule that a Mixed Pattern of Online Harassment and a Single Physical Intrusion Can Sustain a...

Streamlining the “Vexatious Litigator” Designation in Ohio: An Analysis of the Supreme Court’s 08 / 05 / 2025 Case Announcements (2025-Ohio-2749)

Date: Aug 7, 2025

Streamlining the “Vexatious Litigator” Designation in Ohio: An Analysis of the Supreme Court’s 08 / 05 / 2025 Case Announcements (2025-Ohio-2749) Introduction The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Case...

“Next Preceding” Means “Immediately Preceding”: The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Definitive Construction of Charter-Based Residency Requirements

Date: Jul 24, 2025

“Next Preceding” Means “Immediately Preceding”: The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Definitive Construction of Charter-Based Residency Requirements 1. Introduction In State ex rel. Elmore v. Franklin County...

Supreme Court of Ohio Reinforces Public-Notice Requirement in Bar Admissions under Gov.Bar R. I(17)

Date: Jul 23, 2025

Supreme Court of Ohio Reinforces Public-Notice Requirement in Bar Admissions under Gov.Bar R. I(17) 1. Introduction On 18 July 2025 the Supreme Court of Ohio issued an Administrative Action entitled...

“Proof-of-Existence” Mandamus Standard under Ohio’s Public Records Act – A Commentary on State ex rel. Ames v. Big Walnut Local School Dist. Bd. of Edn., 2025-Ohio-2493

Date: Jul 23, 2025

“Proof-of-Existence” Mandamus Standard under Ohio’s Public Records Act A Comprehensive Commentary on State ex rel. Ames v. Big Walnut Local School District Board of Education, 2025-Ohio-2493 1....

Charter Cities Immune from Statutory Recall Absent Explicit Adoption: Commentary on State ex rel. Maumee v. Lucas Cty. Bd. of Elections (2025-Ohio-2516)

Date: Jul 23, 2025

Charter Cities Immune from Statutory Recall Absent Explicit Adoption A Comprehensive Commentary on State ex rel. Maumee v. Lucas County Board of Elections, 2025-Ohio-2516 1. Introduction State ex...

Clark v. DRC (2025): Referral-Response Rule & No Procurement Duty for Out-of-Custody Records under Ohio’s Public Records Act

Date: Jul 23, 2025

Clark v. DRC (2025): Referral-Response Rule & No Procurement Duty for Out-of-Custody Records under Ohio’s Public Records Act 1. Introduction State ex rel. Clark v. Department of Rehabilitation and...

Clark v. DRC: Ohio Supreme Court Reaffirms State’s Duty to Obtain Public Records Held by Private Prison Operators

Date: Jul 16, 2025

Clark v. Department of Rehabilitation & Correction (2025-Ohio-2473): Ohio Supreme Court Reaffirms the State’s Non-Delegable Duty to Retrieve and Produce Public Records Held by Private Prison...

“Fictitious‐Staff Deception” as Professional Misconduct: Hunter Sets a Higher Bar for Dishonesty-Based Sanctions in Ohio

Date: Jul 11, 2025

“Fictitious‐Staff Deception” as Professional Misconduct: Disciplinary Counsel v. Hunter (2025-Ohio-2406) and the Escalation of Sanctions for Patterned Dishonesty 1. Introduction In Disciplinary...

Recorded Easements & Disclosure Duties: Ashmus v. Coughlin’s Refinement of “Material Defect” Under R.C. 5302.30

Date: Jul 11, 2025

Recorded Easements & Disclosure Duties: Ashmus v. Coughlin (2025) Refines the Meaning of “Material Defect” Under Ohio’s Residential Property Disclosure Regime 1. Introduction In Ashmus v. Coughlin,...

Rehabilitation Over Conviction: Supreme Court of Ohio Clarifies the Character-and-Fitness Standard for Bar Applicants with Serious Felony Histories

Date: Jul 10, 2025

Rehabilitation Over Conviction: Supreme Court of Ohio Clarifies the Character-and-Fitness Standard for Bar Applicants with Serious Felony Histories 1. Introduction In In re Application of Notestine,...

Howard v. Plank: Clarifying the Evidentiary Burden for Mandamus and Statutory Damages under Ohio’s Public Records Act

Date: Jul 10, 2025

Howard v. Plank: Clarifying the Evidentiary Burden for Mandamus and Statutory Damages under Ohio’s Public Records Act 1. Introduction State ex rel. Howard v. Plank, Slip Opinion No. 2025-Ohio-2325,...

No Warrant Required for Single Historical App-Based Location Data: Analysis of State v. Diaw (2025-Ohio-2323)

Date: Jul 7, 2025

No Warrant Required for Single Historical App-Based Location Data: State v. Diaw as a Modern Extension of the Third-Party Doctrine 1. Introduction In State v. Diaw, Slip Opinion No. 2025-Ohio-2323,...

“Link-the-Mail” Doctrine: State ex rel. Mobley v. Grabman (2025) and the Evidentiary Threshold for Statutory Damages under Ohio’s Public-Records Act

Date: Jul 7, 2025

“Link-the-Mail” Doctrine: State ex rel. Mobley v. Grabman (2025) and the Evidentiary Threshold for Statutory Damages under Ohio’s Public-Records Act 1. Introduction State ex rel. Mobley v. Grabman,...

“From Cafeteria Line to Taxable Line Item” – Aramark Corp. v. Harris Clarifies the Sales-Tax Treatment of Contract Food-Service Arrangements in Ohio

Date: Jun 23, 2025

“From Cafeteria Line to Taxable Line Item” – Aramark Corp. v. Harris Clarifies the Sales-Tax Treatment of Contract Food-Service Arrangements in Ohio 1. Introduction On 18 June 2025 the Supreme Court...