On Monday, May 5, 2025, Pele K. Bradford filed a complaint for a writ of procedendo in the Supreme Court of Ohio, seeking to compel action from four judges of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. The respondents named in the filing are Judge Christian A. Jenkins, Judge Jennifer L. Branch, Judge Melba D. Marsh, and Judge Leslie Ghiz.
Bradford, who is incarcerated, is the defendant in Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Case No. B-0400169, titled State of Ohio v. Pele K. Bradford.
The complaint requests that the Supreme Court issue a writ of procedendo directing the respondent judges to rule on Bradford’s Civil Rule 60(B) Motion for Relief from Judgment, which he filed on March 17, 2025. This motion, based on newly discovered evidence and an alleged failure to serve under Civil Rule 5, remains unopposed according to the time frame outlined in Local Rule 14(B) of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. Bradford argues that the lack of opposition warrants the granting of his motion.
On April 24, 2025, Bradford filed an additional motion requesting findings of fact and conclusions of law in accordance with the GTE test, as established in GTE Automatic Electric, Inc. v. ARC Industries, Inc. This motion supports his earlier Civil Rule 60(B) filing. In his complaint, Bradford notes that he requested an in-person, non-video courtroom hearing for his motion but asserts that the judges have the authority to grant the motion based on the filings alone, without an evidentiary hearing.
Bradford’s filing cites prior cases presided over by the respondent judges, including a 2024 case where Judge Branch granted an unopposed Civil Rule 60(B) motion and a 2013 case where Judge Marsh granted a similar motion. He also references rulings by Judge Jenkins and Judge Ghiz, which indicate that courts may dispose of motions without oral arguments when deemed unnecessary.
In his prayer for relief, Bradford asks the Supreme Court to order the respondents to proceed to judgment on his March 17 motion, provide findings of fact and conclusions of law, and cover the costs of prosecuting the action.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
