Ohio S. Ct. Vacates Order Sealing Documents at Defendant’s Behest in Alleged Child Rape Case
From the Ohio Supreme Court’s decision Friday in State ex rel. Shubert v. Breaux:
In February 2024, Jeremiah Stoehr was indicted in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas on one count of rape, two counts of kidnapping, one count of gross sexual imposition, and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. The record contains some ambiguity regarding how many alleged victims there were, but at least one alleged victim was under the age of ten. Stoehr was a high school student when the complaint in this action was filed, and the criminal case against him has received media attention. Judge [Alison] Breaux is presiding over Stoehr’s pending criminal case….
On May 9, Stoehr filed a motion in the trial court to seal the docket and remove public access to case filings during the pendency of Stoehr’s case. Stoehr’s motion to seal states that after media began reporting on his case, Stoehr was assaulted and threatened, his parents were followed, and his address was published online. The motion was not supported by any affidavits. The same day the motion was filed, Judge Breaux issued an order granting it.
On May 16, Judge Breaux sua sponte issued an amended sealing order. The amended order states that before Stoehr filed his motion to seal, the trial court held a meeting in chambers with the prosecution and defense counsel. During the meeting, “it was brought to the attention of the Court” that Stoehr, his family, and his counsel had been threatened, intimidated, and confronted. The prosecution also expressed a concern about the minor victim being identified. The trial court “weigh[ed] the risk of injury to persons, public safety an
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