The Ohio Supreme Court has adopted changes to Rule 10.03 of the Rules of Superintendence and 30 protection order forms that take effect March 1.

Diana Ramos-Reardon, domestic violence counsel for the Supreme Court, said Civil Rule of Procedure 65.1 necessitated some of the changes to the standardized forms. She said this civil rule clarifies magistrates’ involvement in civil protection order proceedings and discovery related to protection order cases.

Changes to the forms concern updating them to match current practices since the last update nearly four years ago. For instance, changes to Form 10-A encourage law enforcement to enter promptly properly issued protection orders into the FBI’s protection order database and firearms disability database.

Other changes to the forms, which were recommended by the Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence, include:

• placing in a prominent position the no abuse term in the protection order, as this is the most distinguishable characteristic of a protection order,
• underscoring the importance of providing an address that does not compromise the petitioner’s safety to receive correspondence from the court,
• expanding references to social media to clarify the no contact provision in the order,
• articulating that law enforcement officers and U.S. Armed Forces members may be exempt from firearms disability because of their jobs,
• clarifying the weapons surrender term in the order and return procedures,
• indicating the new judicial review standard for protection order proceedings before a magistrate,
• and revising the forms consistent with the no fee prohibition in last year’s reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

View the complete language of the revised rule and forms.

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