The Ohio Court of Claims has jurisdiction to hear appeals from victims making a claim to the Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation Program. Last year, nearly 80 appeals were filed.

The Court of Claims will host a free seminar for attorneys, victims’ advocates, and the general public to learn more about the program and the appeals process. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, and has been approved for four hours of general continuing legal education (CLE) credit.

“The Court of Claims is very happy to offer this CLE at no cost to the legal community. It should be helpful not only to those attorneys who already practice in this area but also to lawyers who are looking for ways to expand their practice in a very competitive environment,” Clerk of the Court Mark Reed said.

Registration details are available on the Court of Claims website.

Crime victim compensation claims are filed with the Attorney General’s Office, which then conducts an investigation and makes an administrative determination regarding the claimant’s eligibility for an award and the amount of that award. The claimant may appeal the determination to the Court of Claims, where the appeal is heard by a magistrate. The magistrate’s ruling may be objected to a judge of the court, and the judge’s determination is final.