State ex rel. Harmon v. Bender

The controlling question in this case is whether videotapes of trial proceedings are public records subject to the public access provisions of R.C. 149.43(B). We have previously held that mandamus is the appropriate remedy to compel a governmental unit to provide public access to public records under R.C. 149.43. See State, ex rel. Plain Dealer Publishing Co., v. Lesak (1984), 9 Ohio St. 3d 1. For the following reasons we find that videotapes of trial proceedings are public records, and we *17issue a writ of mandamus directing respondent to allow relator access to the videotape of State v.…