On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Solomon Tentman filed a notice of appeal with the Supreme Court of Ohio seeking to overturn lower court rulings regarding the termination of his parental rights.
In his notice, Tentman revealed that he is appealing decisions out of Hamilton County courts related to the recognition of a foreign custody determination that would end his legal relationship with his child. Tentman claimed the case involved substantial constitutional questions. He asserted that as a parental rights termination case, it deserves expedited appeal under Ohio law.
The filing provides context that Tentman had previously exercised his right to appeal lower court decisions in this matter, but was unsuccessful. It notes he is now bringing his grievances to the Ohio Supreme Court after the First District Court of Appeals in Hamilton County dismissed his case in May and denied reconsideration in June.
As support for his request for an expedited appeal schedule, Tentman referenced an Ohio Revised Code statute that mandates hastened timelines for appeals concerning the validation of custody orders issued outside the state. He argued swift resolution is required on such consequential family law disputes.
Tentman’s notice listed his appellate case number in the First District, as well as contact information for the opposing counsel representing Judge Betsy Sundermann, the original decision-maker in the case. An affidavit of indigence was also included, as Tentman affirmed he was unable to afford court costs due to personal debts and requested a fee waiver.
The filing provided scant facts about the underlying case and dispute between Tentman and Sundermann. However, it shed light that an out-of-state custody ruling was at the center of the matter, and Tentman felt higher courts had not adequately heard his defense against ending his legal ties to his child on constitutional grounds thus far. It remains to be seen how the Ohio Supreme Court may handle this timely appeal raising parental rights termination issues.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
