Tort Law Journal

Today’s Plain Dealer is reporting that the Ohio House is seeking to pass legislation that will revolutionize the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act. The provisions would void the recent Ohio Supreme Court decision in Whitaker v. M.T. Automotive, dba Montrose Toyota where the Court overturned a lower court ruling that the CSPA only provided for recovery of economic damages. The Supreme Court approved damages for stress, aggravation and the like.

The pending legislation is being viewed as backlash to the Whitake decision and an effort to limit the damages that could be recovered on almost all consumer transactions.

The matter is set to be reviewed today by the House Judiciary Committee.

The Plain Dealer article is here

Troy Smith, quarterback of the varsity football team at “The” Ohio State University won the Heisman Trophy last week as the best college football in the country for the 2006 season.

What does this have to do with the law? It’s easy ….

Troy Smith is from Cleveland. John Heisman, name sake of the Heisman Trophy, was born in Cleveland. He was also the football coach at Oberlin College and the predecessor of the University of Akron.

There’s your Cleveland connection.

Before becoming a coach, Heisman earned an L.L.B. from the University of Pennsylvania. Yes, John Heisman was a lawyer. Steven B. Hayes, the son of Woody Hayes, legendary coach of the Buckeyes not only earned a law degree, but was a judge in the Franklin County Municipal Court. Judge Hayes was assigned to hear the case against the former Buckeye star and Heisman hopeful, now felon, Maurice Clarrett.

There’s your legal connection.

So, in the end, Troy Smith wins a lawyer’s trophy while achieving national recognition on a football team long associated with the father of a judge while, at the same time, avoiding the commission of needless felonies.

Just think what would have happened in dear ol’ John Heisman hadn’t gotten a law degree …