On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Carlin U. Powell filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in the Supreme Court of Ohio, seeking to compel Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan to grant him credit for 576 days served in the Cuyahoga County Correctional Center from May 26, 2016, to May 17, 2018.

Powell, currently incarcerated at Noble Correctional Institution in Caldwell, Ohio, argues that the time served should be credited toward his sentence under the Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act (IADA).

Powell’s petition claims that the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas initially granted him 718 days of credit for time served, in accordance with the IADA, but later reduced this to 142 days, denying him 576 days. According to the filing, Powell has served nine years of his ten-year, six-month sentence as of May 26, 2025, leaving 18 months remaining. He contends that the 576 days in question, combined with the time already served, would result in him having completed his sentence, exceeding it by 31 days as of May 26, 2025.

The petition cites Article V(f) of the IADA, which states that time served during temporary custody or while a prisoner is made available for trial should continue to count toward the sentence. Powell argues that the Cuyahoga County court, as the jurisdiction that imposed his sentence, is obligated to honor this provision. Additionally, he references Article V(g) of the IADA, which indicates that a prisoner remains under the jurisdiction of the sending state for purposes other than the trial for which custody was transferred.

Powell asserts that there is no other adequate remedy to address the alleged denial of his time-served credit, emphasizing that the issue is rooted in constitutional law under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. He also invokes the Rule of Lenity, arguing that any ambiguity in criminal statutes should be resolved in favor of the accused. The petition further notes that the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized procedural protections for prisoners under the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, applicable to states that have adopted it.

In his request for relief, Powell asks the Supreme Court of Ohio to issue a writ of mandamus directing Judge Sheehan to grant the 576 days of credit and order his immediate release, arguing that this is necessary to uphold the proper functioning of the judiciary.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.