A series of rule changes regarding practice and procedure in Ohio’s courts take effect July 1.

The Ohio Supreme Court amendments alter rules governing civil, criminal, and appellate 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.

A change to Appellate Rule 21 will require all oral arguments before the appeals court’s 12 districts to be recorded by audio or video and made available to the public. This requirement takes effect Sept. 1 to provide courts preparation time.

Changes to criminal rules will make it clear that plea hearings and applications for search warrants can be conducted remotely and will allow magistrates to preside over specialized dockets on a temporary basis.

A new Superintendence Rule 36.33 will set the standards for magistrates presiding over a specialized docket in criminal cases.

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 twice for public comment, in fall and winter.

The Ohio Constitution mandates submission of the amendments to the General Assembly by Jan. 15 each year, and the Court has until April 30 to make revisions and file amendments. Unless the General Assembly adopts a concurrent resolution of disapproval before July 1, the amendments take effect on that date.