Victims’ Rights Practice and Procedure Rule Proposals Filed With General Assembly

A series of proposed changes to the practice and procedure rules for Ohio courts have been filed with the General Assembly for final consideration. Unless the General Assembly adopts a concurrent resolution of disapproval, the rules go into effect on July 1.

The proposed amendments went through two rounds of public comment and are primarily related to the rights of victims of crime found in Article I, Section 10a of the Ohio Constitution and Revised Code Chapter 2930, also known as “Marsy’s Law.”

The Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure conducted a comprehensive review of court rules to identify any changes that should be made to reflect the constitutional and statutory provisions for victims. The proposals include changes to the Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Rules of Civil Procedure, the Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Rules of Evidence, and the Rules of Juvenile Procedure. Nonmaterial changes were identified that also include the Traffic Rules.