On Thursday, July 3, 2025, Pele K. Bradford filed a complaint for a writ of mandamus in the Supreme Court of Ohio, seeking to compel judges of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas to vacate his June 8, 2004 Judgment Entry. The case involves Bradford’s previous conviction and sentencing related to voluntary manslaughter and other charges.

Bradford, serving time at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, asserts that the trial court exceeded its authority by vacating his original guilty plea and sentence. He contends that after he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to fourteen years in prison in 2004, the court subsequently lacked the jurisdiction to alter that judgment. He cites precedent from the Ohio Supreme Court, stating that a trial court’s jurisdiction ends once a final judgment has been issued.

In his filing, Bradford outlines that he initially pled guilty to reduced charges as part of a plea agreement that required him to testify in a separate case. However, after he failed to uphold his end of the agreement, the state moved to vacate the plea and advance the case for trial. This led to a jury trial where he was reconvicted of aggravated murder and other charges, resulting in a new sentence of twenty-four years to life.

Bradford claims the June 8, 2004 Judgment Entry is void, arguing that the trial court lacked the authority to vacate his previous conviction. He has made several requests to the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts for certified copies of documents related to his case, including the original Judgment Entry and the trial court’s orders. Each time, he was informed that the documents had been deleted or destroyed, raising concerns about the preservation of his case records.

In the complaint, Bradford requests the Supreme Court to issue a writ of mandamus compelling the Hamilton County judges to vacate the 2004 Judgment Entry and argues that he has no adequate remedy available through ordinary legal channels. He further requests that the court order the respondents to cover the costs associated with prosecuting his action.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.