Spies v. Voinovich

RUSSELL, District Judge.

This is an appeal of a First Amendment retaliation claim brought by the Plaintiff, Douglas Spies n/k/a Gunaratna Sarika (“Sarika”), against various Ohio prison officials. Sarika contends that officials at the North Central Correctional Institute (“NCCI”) violated his rights guaranteed under the First Amendment by retaliating against him for filing lawsuits against the prison officials. Sarika requested injunctive relief, and the case was tried before the district court without a jury. Because we conclude that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to rule…