On Thursday, February 19, 2026, Patrick J. Shank filed a complaint in the Ohio Supreme Court, seeking a Writ of Mandamus and/or Procedendo against the Medina County Common Pleas Court and Judge James L. Kimbler.
Shank, an inmate at the Belmont Correctional Institution in St. Clairsville, Ohio, alleges a conflict of interest in his criminal case, 2012 CR 0696, where he was convicted and committed to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. The complaint asserts that Judge Kimbler, presiding over the case, had familial connections to the alleged victim, Addie Meager, and that the court’s administrative assistant, Amanda Armstrong, was also related to the Meager family.
Shank contends that this conflict of interest prejudiced his trial. He points to trial transcripts where Judge Kimbler acknowledged knowing the Meager family, including the victim’s uncle, Big Carl. Shank argues that the judge’s prior residence in the same house as the alleged victim and the judge’s failure to disqualify himself compromised the fairness of the proceedings.
The complaint states that Shank has repeatedly raised this issue since his conviction but has been met with procedural barriers. He claims that the issue has never been adjudicated on its merits. Shank argues that his constitutional rights to due process, equal protection, and fundamental fairness, as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, were violated.
Shank demands that the Ohio Supreme Court issue a Writ of Mandamus and/or Procedendo, overturning his criminal trial and ordering his release or a new trial. He asserts that Judge Kimbler had a clear legal duty to disqualify himself to ensure a fair trial and that the conflict of interest corrupted the entire proceeding.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
