Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio

Amendments to Procedural Rules Take Effect

A series of rule changes regarding practice and procedure in Ohio’s courts took effect today, according to the Ohio Supreme Court.

The amendments alter several rules governing civil, criminal, and juvenile proceedings, and rules of evidence. The amendments were submitted to the Court by its Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure and incorporate two rounds of public comment. These amendments include:

  • Amendments to various rules that implement provisions of the recently enacted Marsy’s Law, which extended new rights to crime victims
  • Amendments to Crim.R. 12 that modify the process by which indigent criminal defendants request expert witnesses or investigators
  • Amendments to the civil rules that create more uniform time frames to respond to certain motions
  • Amendments to Crim.R. 11 in regard to when the terms of plea agreement must be stated on the record

The commission conducts an annual review of the Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rules of Juvenile Procedure, and Rules of Evidence and each fall recommends amendments to the Court. The proposals are published to obtain and consider public comment.

In addition, according to the Ohio Constitution, the amendments must be submitted to the General Assembly by Jan. 15, and the Court had until April 30 to make revisions and file amendments.

The amendments took effect July 1 in the absence of the General Assembly adopting a concurrent resolution of disapproval.

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