Ohio Cities Can Appeal Over Blocked Laws, State Justices Say (1)

Ohio local governments can immediately appeal a judge’s decision preliminarily blocking an ordinance from being enforced, a divided state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Preliminary injunctions blocking city ordinances are now uniformly considered “final orders” fit for appellate review, Justice Daniel R. Hawkins (R) wrote for the 5-2 court. Previously, the ability for an appeals court to review such orders had to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The ruling is a setback for those challenging the city of Columbus’ gun regulations, and at the same time provides a cleared pathway for cities to challenge a trial judge’s decision to block ...