Cleveland Law Library Weblog

The People’s Flag of Cleveland

After months of community engagement and public voting, the Cleveland Flag Project have unveiled the “People’s Flag of Cleveland.” The new design is packed with meaning, subtly nodding to Cleveland's history and future aspirations. Although city leaders are not adopting it as Cleveland’s official flag, organizers hope it will be embraced by residents, with flags debuting across the city and merchandise available to support the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

 

Wearing an "Idiot" Sign is "Punishment for Cleveland Woman Who Drove on Sidewalk to Pass a School Bus Full of Children

The Cleveland Municipal Court has issued a creative sentence for a woman who drove onto a sidewalk in order to pass a school bus full of children-she will have to wear an "idiot" sign.  ABC news reports that the woman, who the bus driver caught on video, will have to wear a sign that says "Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus" next Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at the intersection of East 38th and Payne in Cleveland. The sign has to be on white poster board with capital letters in black marker. This situation makes me think of Bill Engvall and "Here's Your Sign."

Some Cleveland Law Firms Are Bucking the Nationwide Hiring Freeze

Cleveland lawyers and law graduates have had it tough the last few years, just as have lawyers throughout the country. However, the Cleveland Plain Dealer just reported that some local law firms are bucking the nationwide trend. According to cleveland.com:

"Cleveland-based Tucker Ellis has brought on 21 lawyers this year, 16 of them at its downtown Cleveland office.Thompson Hine added eight attorneys at its Cleveland headquarters and 16 firmwide in the past year. Walter & Haverfield grew 20 percent in the first nine months of 2012, adding seven partners and five associates since January...The Cleveland office of Jones Day reports a net gain of 17 lawyers since January, bringing the total to 227."

In contrast, the article indicates that the numbers at the local offices of Calfee Halter and Benesch Friedlander are down.  Reductions like these firms have experienced, or flat hiring freezes, seem to be the local norm.

Cleveland Public Library Opens a BookBox at the Ohio City Market Square Park

Always on the cutting edge of library science, the Cleveland Public Library has launched another local initiative called the BookBox. Located in Ohio City across the Street from the West Side Market, the portable BookBox will allow Saturday morning patrons at the Market Square Park to check out books on "food, cooking, gardening, art, and urban agriculture." Read CPL's Press Release for more information on the BookBox, and click here for a picture of the BookBox.

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.