COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO, EIGHTH DISTRICT
                       COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA
                            No. 79727
LAWRENCE JOHNSON              :         ORIGINAL ACTION
                              :
          Relator             :         JOURNAL ENTRY
                              :              AND
     vs.                      :            OPINION
                              :
STATE OF OHIO, ET AL.         :
                              :
          Respondent          :
DATE OF JOURNALIZATION:            AUGUST 9, 2001
CHARACTER OF PROCEEDINGS:          WRIT OF MANDAMUS
JUDGMENT:                          Writ Dismissed.
                                   Motion No. 28908
APPEARANCES:
For Relator:                  LAWRENCE JOHNSON, pro se
                              Inmate No. 186-944
                              Southern Ohio Correctional Inst.
                              P.O. Box 45699
                              Lucasville, Ohio 45699-0001
For Respondent:               WILLIAM D. MASON, ESQ.
                              Cuyahoga County Prosecutor
                              BY: LISA REITZ WILLIAMSON
                              Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
                              The Justice Center
                              1200 Ontario Street
                              Cleveland, Ohio 44113
                               -2-
CELEBREZZE, J.
     Relator, Lawrence Johnson, has filed a complaint for a writ of
mandamus  and has named the  State  of Ohio  as respondent.   The
named respondent,  through  the  office of  the  Cuyahoga  County
Prosecutor, has filed a motion to dismiss which we grant for  the
following reasons.
     Initially, we find that the complaint for a writ of mandamus
is defective since the relator has failed to identify a particular
individual or public office which possesses a specific duty as owed
to the relator.  State ex rel. Sherrills v. State of Ohio (Aug. 3,
2000), Cuyahoga County App. No. 78261, unreported.  The failure of
the relator to properly identify a respondent renders the complaint
fatally defective and thus  subject to dismissal.  State ex  rel.
Lesko v. Cuyahoga County  Court of Common Pleas (Apr. 15,  1999),
Cuyahoga App. No. 76165, unreported.
     In  addition, the  relator has  failed to  comply with  R.C.
2969.25 which mandates that he attach an affidavit to his complaint
that describes each civil action or appeal of a civil action filed
in  the previous  five years.   The  failure to  provide such  an
affidavit  constitutes sufficient  grounds for  dismissal of  the
relator's complaint for a writ of mandamus.  State ex rel. Zanders
v. Ohio Parole Board (1998),  82 Ohio St.3d 421, 696 N.E.2d  594;
State ex rel.  Alford v. Winters (1997),  80 Ohio St.3d 285,  685
N.E.2d 1242.
     Finally, the  relator has failed  to comply with  Loc.App.R.
45(B)(1) which  provides  that all  complaints must  contain  the
                               -3-
specific statements of fact upon which the claim of illegality is
based and must be supported by an affidavit from the plaintiff or
relator specifying the details of the claim.   State ex rel. Wilson
v. Calabrese (Jan. 18, 1996), Cuyahoga App. No. 70077, unreported;
State ex rel. Smith v. McMonagle (Jul 17, 1996), Cuyahoga App. No.
70899, unreported.
     Accordingly, we  grant  the motion  to  dismiss.   Costs  to
relator. It is further ordered that the Clerk shall serve upon all
parties  notice of this  judgment and date  of entry pursuant  to
Civ.R. 58(B).
     Writ dismissed.
JAMES D. SWEENEY, P.J., AND
ANN DYKE, J.,       CONCUR.
                                   FRANK D. CELEBREZZE, JR.
                                             JUDGE
 
.