On Tuesday, July 1, Relmark Sanders filed a petition in the Ohio Supreme Court seeking writs of procedendo and mandamus against Judge Jennifer Towell of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. The case arises from Sanders’ conviction by reason of insanity in a previous case.
According to the petition, Sanders was admitted to Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare on November 1, 2023, and has since been recommended for a level change to Level 4 Community by his Forensic Review Team. This recommendation was forwarded to Judge Towell on or about March 17, 2025. However, the petition alleges that Judge Towell has not conducted any hearings related to this request, nor has she issued a ruling or entered any related entries in her docket.
The petition states that Sanders has a legal entitlement to a ruling on his request for a level change under Ohio Revised Code 2945.401(D). It further claims that Judge Towell has a clear legal duty to act on this matter but has failed to do so, leaving Sanders without an adequate legal remedy.
In the petition, Sanders requests that the Supreme Court issue a writ of mandamus compelling Judge Towell to grant the requested level change. Additionally, he seeks a writ of procedendo directing her to issue a final ruling on the matter within five business days.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
