On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Ashley Brooke Osborne filed a complaint in the Ohio Supreme Court seeking a writ of prohibition and a writ of mandamus against Judge Jennifer L. Branch and Magistrate Thomas O. Beridon of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas.
Osborne, acting as her own legal representative, alleges that Magistrate Beridon presided over a five-day jury trial in January 2026 without proper written authorization. The case in question, A2304865, involves a commercial lease dispute arising from Osborne’s tenancy in Fairfield, Ohio.
Osborne claims that Chief Magistrate Anita P. Berding, initially assigned to the case, conducted an off-the-record Zoom conference on January 8, 2026, during which she made oral rulings narrowing Osborne’s claims without issuing a written order. Subsequently, on January 15, 2026, Chief Magistrate Berding signed a Nunc Pro Tunc Entry that removed multiple defendants from the case, a move Osborne argues was a substantive change and not a clerical correction.
According to the complaint, Chief Magistrate Berding sent an email on January 18, 2026, citing a family emergency and stating that Magistrate Beridon would preside over the trial. However, Osborne contends that this reassignment was not authorized, as Judge Branch did not issue a written order, and no recusal order was filed. Osborne further alleges that Chief Magistrate Berding remained active in the case, signing a substantive written order on January 20, 2026, the first day of the trial.
Osborne’s complaint highlights several alleged procedural defects, including the lack of a written order of reference naming Magistrate Beridon and the absence of written consent from all parties for him to preside. She argues that the court’s docketing system continues to list Chief Magistrate Berding as the presiding magistrate.
Osborne seeks a writ of prohibition to prevent Magistrate Beridon from issuing any further orders or a magistrate’s decision in Case No. A2304865 and to declare all proceedings before him void. Additionally, she requests a writ of mandamus compelling Judge Branch to fulfill her supervisory duties, including ruling on Osborne’s pending Motion for Disqualification of Magistrate Beridon.
The complaint also asks the Ohio Supreme Court to vacate the January 15, 2026 Nunc Pro Tunc Entry and restore Case No. A2304865 to its status as of January 8, 2026. Osborne requests that all further proceedings, including any new trial, be assigned to a visiting judge from outside Hamilton County with no connections to the local bench, bar, or magistracy.
Osborne asserts that she has no adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law and that Judge Branch has failed to address the jurisdictional defects raised in her filings. She claims that the challenge to Magistrate Beridon’s authority has been pending for 86 days without resolution.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
