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28 Ohio Law. Abs. 21

Russo v. State

Ohio Court of Appeals

Decided September 19, 1938

Ohio Court of Appeals · decided 1938-09-19

Decided 1938-09-19

¶1OPINION

By TERRELL, J.

¶2This case involves the consideration of the constitutionality of an ordinance of the charter City of Cleveland that is claimed to be in conflict with the general law of the State of Ohio.

¶3It was contended that the defendant, Ignatius Russo, contributed to the delinquency of his seventeen year old step-son, Salvatore Lobosco, in that he permitted said Salvatore Lobosco to operate an automobile in Cleveland, contrary to the ordinance of the said city.

¶4The ordinance provided that no person under the age of eighteen (18) years shall ■ operate an automobile on the streets of the City of Cleveland and that the owner of ar automobile shall not permit a minor under the age of eighteen (18) years to so operate an automobile.

¶5Defendant contends that the said ordinance is in conflict with the general law of the State of Ohio. The state driver’s license law §6296, GC, and sub-sections thereof, authorizes the licensing of operators of automobiles in the state of Ohio without regard to age, except, that the registrar is ■ required to examine every applicant for automobile driver’s license who is under the age of eighteen (18) years as to his qualifications to drive an automobile.

¶6In this case it is admitted that the said minor, Salvatore Lobosco, after due examination by the proper official, was granted a driver’s license from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of the State of Ohio.

¶7It is apparent that if this license has any significance at all it means that the license holder is permitted by the state law to operate a motor vehicle in the state and hence in the city of Cleveland .which is a part of the state.

¶8There is thus presented a patent conflict between the state law which permits this seventeen (17) year old boy to drive an automobile and the charter city ordinance which forbids him to drive.

¶9The State Constitution, Article XVIII, empowers a charter city to adopt only such police regulations as are not in conflict with general laws of the state. The ordinance in question being in conflict with the general state law, it follows that the said ordinance is unconstitutional.

¶10The judgment of conviction of the defendant is therefore reversed and the defendant is discharged.

LIEGHLEY, J, concurs.LEVINE, PJ, dissents for the reason that the ordinance of the City of Cleveland is a proper exercise of its Home Rule Powers as a charter city.
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