Cleveland Law Library Weblog

Cleveland Municipal Ordinances Have Been Updated through October 4, 2011

The Cleveland Municipal Ordinances were just updated through October 4, 2011. A link to the ordinances can be found on the Cleveland City Council page, but they are provided on the web by American Legal Publising Corporation. Current changes to the City ordinances can always be found in the City Record.

Cleveland Municipal Court Creates Veterans Treatment Docket

Joining Mansfield and Youngstown (see our prior post), the Cleveland Municipal Court has created its own Veterans Treatment Docket. According to the Ohio Supreme Court's press release, this new docket is "designed to address the special needs of veterans of the U.S. Armed Services and National Guard, who become involved with the criminal justice system in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County...The Veterans Treatment Docket brings together all parties that assist honorably discharged veterans with their substance abuse, mental health, housing, employment, education and health issues." The Court plans to partner with the Veterans Service Commission and the Veterans Administration to get vets the help they need.

Cleveland Municipal Court e-Filing Looks Pretty Easy to Use

If you have not already heard, the Cleveland Municipal Court's Civil Division now provides another option to file documents: e-Filing. The Court conducted training earlier this month, but there is a great tutorial, complete with multiple screen shots, that explains how to register for the first time, submit pdf documents as e-files, and check the list of documents you have filed. The Court's e-Filing website contains this description of the process of accepting electronic documents:

"All filings made by an electronic record (e-filing) shall have the same effect as a paper filing.  No filing shall be deemed as accepted by the Cleveland Municipal Court until it has been reviewed and approved.  After approval an electronic notice will be sent to the filer and no pleading shall be considered filed until an electronic notice has been sent to the filer.  All registered e-filing accounts will be available for use, after an activation notice has been sent."

Filers can also register to create an escrow account against which filing fees will be taxed or enter credit card information to pay online with each filing.

Only time will tell whether this system will replace print filing entirely, but, at least for now, the Court is continuing to accept hard copies.

State Budge Cuts May Cause Backlogs and Layoffs in Courts, So Suggests Bloomberg BusinessWeek

According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, state budget cuts may soon cause backlogs and layoffs in courts across the country. The article on the cuts quotes ABA President Stephen Zack, who will be in Cleveland tomorrow at the City Club for Law Day celebrations.

Ohio Supreme Court Dismisses Two Cases Challenging the Constitutionality of Red-Light Cameras

Yesterday, on May 4, 2011, the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed two (2) cases from Cleveland and Columbus that challenged the constitutionality of red-light cameras. The Court simply dismissed the cases so there is no substantive opinion upon which either side can really hang its hat. Click here to read the Court's opinion in the Cleveland case, which sought writs of mandamus and prohibition and wherein the court denied class certification and a request for oral argument in 2 short paragraphs. Click here to read an article from the Columbus Dispatch about the decisions. Click here to read our prior post on the case when it was originally filed in Cleveland just 3 months ago.

Cleveland Public Library Launches Downtown Destination Campaign

The Cleveland Public Library (CPL) has lauched a bold new initiative called the Downtown Destination Campaign. CPL plans to spend $12 million to renovate its main branch in the heart of Cleveland, including $1.2 million to to create  "Tech Central," where all of CPL's computers and technology will be re-located to serve patrons. Part of the initiative will include forming an indoor garden and creating “Centers” for family and children’s discovery, sports research, and career connections. CPL hopes to revitalize the library as part of efforts to connect Cleveland venues and spur downtown development.

6th Circuit Remands Read Light Camera Case Involving Leased Vehicles for Determination of Unjust Enrichment Claim

Drivers of leased vehicles will have to wait a bit longer to find out if the City of Cleveland will have to reimburse them a collective $10 million dollars over red light traffic camera tickets. The 6th Circuit issued a recent decision in the McCarthy case which upheld the law under Constitutional provisions prohibiting unjust takings (U.S. Const. amend V; Ohio Const. Art. I, § 19), but remanded the case to the district court for a determination of whether the City was unjustly enriched by collecting $100 fines from lessees under a law that purportedly only covered vehicle owners. Click here to read an article from Cleveland.com about the court's decision.

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's 3Rs Program Underway in Cleveland and East Cleveland High Schools

The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's 3Rs program on Rights, Responsibilities, and Realities started today in 10th grade classrooms in Cleveland and East Cleveland high schools. I went to Max Hayes today, and the kids were really pumped up about our visit. Today, we laid the groundwork for our lessons on the Constitution and discussed career plans that the students may already have formulated. This is my 4th or 5th year in the program, and stats show we are making a difference in passage rates on the social studies portion of the Ohio Graduation Test. Go CMBA!

Cuyahoga County Asking Non-Violent Criminals to Turn Themselves In in September

According to Cleveland flyer, non-violent criminals within Cuyahoga County are being asked to turn themselves in September 22-25, 2010 at the Mt. Zion Church. The event is jointly endorsd by multiple entities, including the Cleveland Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's office, and many others. Attorneys and judges will apparently be on-site for consultation.

Cleveland Lost Negligence Suit Alleging Banks Caused Local Foreclosure Crisis

The Sixth Circuit court has affirmed the Akron District Court's dismissal of Cleveland's nuisance suit alleging that subprime lending tactics by 22 financial entities caused the local foreclosure crisis. The Sixth Circuit's decision devolved to a proximate cause analysis, with the Court concluding that: "the connection between the alleged harm and the alleged misconduct is too indirect to warrant recovery." See our prior post about the district court decision and links to additional information.