Ohio records seeker can't claim fee payout

COLUMBUS (AP) — A citizen activist who stood to collect millions in fines from a small Ohio city for destroying 20 years of 911 tapes has lost his legal battle.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that Timothy Rhodes failed to demonstrate that he wanted information on the city of New Philadelphia’s 911 tapes and so was not “aggrieved” under the state’s public records law.

In an opinion written by Justice Yvette McGee Brown, the court said the city “was able to establish through competent credible evidence” that Rhodes was more interested in the fees than the contents of the tapes, which were routinely recorded over.

The ruling could squelch about half-dozen similar suits around the state where Rhodes or other activists sought old tapes that were no longer available.