Appellant did not raise any arguments related to the trial court's judgment that it lacked venue, but instead, raised arguments related to jurisdiction. Thus, appellant failed to substantiate the trial court's alleged error and this court had nothing to review on appeal.
Decided 2019-03-11
[Cite as Streaker v. Streaker,
2019-Ohio-832
.]
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
TWELFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT OF OHIO
MADISON COUNTY
MARK STREAKER, :
Appellant, : CASE NO. CA2018-05-013
: OPINION
- vs - 3/11/2019
:
MELISSA STREAKER, :
Appellee. :
APPEAL FROM MADISON COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
DOMESTIC RELATIONS DIVISION
Case No. DRA20180055
Mark Streaker, A708816, Madison Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 740, London, Ohio
43140, appellant, pro se
Melissa Streaker, 253 Lee Lane, Corbin, Kentucky 40701, appellee, pro se
PIPER, J.
{¶ 1} Appellant, Mark Streaker, appeals a decision of the Madison County Court of
Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, dismissing his divorce complaint.
{¶ 2} Streaker is currently serving a prison term in the Madison Correctional
Institution. Streaker filed for divorce pro se in the Madison County Court of Common Pleas,
Domestic Relations Division. The court dismissed the complaint for lack of venue, finding
Madison CA2018-05-013
that Streaker is a resident of Butler County, Ohio, rather than Madison County. Streaker now
appeals the court's dismissal, raising the following assignment of error:
{¶ 3} THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION DISMISSING THE
COMPLAINT BASED ON JURISDICTION, VIOLATING THE DUE PROCESS CLAUSE OF
ARTICLE I. SEC 16 OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION.
{¶ 4} Streaker argues in his single assignment of error that, because he is currently in
Madison County, the trial court erred by dismissing his divorce complaint for lack of
jurisdiction. Streaker bases his assignment of error on the trial court's dismissal for lack of
jurisdiction even though the trial court did not dismiss his complaint for that reason. Instead,
the trial court determined that venue in Madison County was improper.
{¶ 5} The record clearly indicates that the trial court dismissed Streaker's complaint
for lack of venue and made no finding it lacked jurisdiction. However, Streaker did not assign
as error that the trial court erred for dismissing his complaint for lack of venue. Streaker
raised no arguments in his brief related to the trial court's actual judgment.
{¶ 6} Ohio law is well-settled that an appellant on appeal must provide legal
arguments and citations to both legal authority and the record sub judice that substantiate the
alleged error. State v. Trammell, 12th Dist. Butler Nos. CA2016-11-220, CA2016-11-221,
and CA2016-11-222,
2017-Ohio-8198
.
{¶ 7} An appellate court will neither construct assignments of error nor create
arguments on behalf of an appellant because it is not the duty of an Ohio appellate court to
raise arguments for the parties. See In re G.E.S., 9th Dist. Summit No. 23963, 2008-Ohio-
2671, ¶ 53. Moreover, "if an argument exists that can support [an] assignment of error, it is
not this court's duty to root it out." In re Constable, 12th Dist. Clermont Nos. CA2006-08-058
and CA2006-09-067,
2007-Ohio-3346, ¶ 12
. "An appellate court is not a performing bear,
-2-
Madison CA2018-05-013
required to dance to each and every tune played on an appeal." State v. Wilson, 12th Dist.
Warren No. CA2018-03-022,
2019-Ohio-338, ¶ 27
.
{¶ 8} Because Streaker has failed to present any legal arguments under his
assignment of error specific to the trial court's ruling, we have nothing to review. We
therefore affirm the trial court's dismissal of Streaker's complaint and overrule his assignment
of error.
{¶ 9} Judgment affirmed.
RINGLAND, P.J., and M. POWELL, J., concur.
-3-
