(B) This section applies to any civil action pending before | 12 |
any court of common pleas, any division of the court of common | 13 |
pleas, or any municipal court or county court, excluding a small | 14 |
claims division of a municipal court or county court. If the | 15 |
parties to a civil action seek a retired judge to preside over a | 16 |
jury trial under this section, a jury trial may be had only if a | 17 |
party to the action has properly made a demand for a jury trial in | 18 |
accordance with Rule 38 of the Rules of Civil Procedure. | 19 |
(C) Any voluntarily retired judge, or any
judge who is | 20 |
retired under Section 6 of Article IV, Ohio
Constitution, may | 21 |
register with the clerk of any court of common
pleas, municipal | 22 |
court, or county court for the purpose of
receiving referrals for | 23 |
adjudication of civil actions or
proceedings, and submissions for | 24 |
determination of specific issues
or questions of fact or law in | 25 |
any civil action or proceeding,
pending in the courtfor | 26 |
adjudication by the retired judge or for trial by jury to be | 27 |
presided over by the retired judge. There is no limitation upon | 28 |
the number,
type, or location of courts with which a retired judge | 29 |
may
register under this division. Upon registration with the clerk | 30 |
of any court under this division, the retired judge is eligible
to | 31 |
receive referrals and submissions from that court, in
accordance | 32 |
with this section. Each court of common pleas,
municipal court, | 33 |
and county court shall maintain an index of all
retired judges who | 34 |
have registered with the clerk of that court
pursuant to this | 35 |
division and shall make the index available to
any person, upon | 36 |
request. | 37 |
(B)(D)(1) The parties to any civil action or proceeding | 38 |
pending in any court of common pleas, municipal court, or county | 39 |
court unanimously may choose to have the action or proceeding in | 40 |
its entirety or specific issues or questions in the action | 41 |
referred for adjudication, or to have any specific
issue or | 42 |
question of fact or law in the action or proceeding
submitted for | 43 |
determination, to a retired judge of their choosing who has | 44 |
registered with the clerk of thatthe court in which the action is | 45 |
pending in accordance with
division (A)(C) of this section. If | 46 |
(d) Indicates that the parties will assume the
responsibility | 66 |
for providing facilities, equipment, and personnel, and other | 67 |
support
reasonably needed bynecessary for the retired judge | 68 |
during his consideration of or the jury to advance and consider | 69 |
the action or proceedingto determine a specific issue or question | 70 |
in the action, and will pay all costs
arising out of the provision | 71 |
of the facilities, equipment, and personnel, and other support; | 72 |
(2) In any case described in division (B)(D)(1) of this | 81 |
section, the agreement shall be filed with the clerk of the court | 82 |
or the judge before whom the action or proceeding is pending.
Upon | 83 |
the filing of the agreement, the judge before whom the
action or | 84 |
proceeding is pending, by journal entry, shall order
the referral | 85 |
or submission in accordance with the agreement. No
referral or | 86 |
submission shall be made to a retired judge under
this section, | 87 |
unless the parties to the action or proceeding
unanimously choose | 88 |
to have the referral or submission made, enter
into an agreement | 89 |
of the type described in division (B)(D)(1) of
this section with | 90 |
the retired judge, and file the agreement in
accordance with this | 91 |
division (D)(2) of this section. | 92 |
(C)(E) Upon the entry of an order of referral or submission | 93 |
in accordance with division (B)(D)(2) of this section, the retired | 94 |
judge to whom the referral or submission is made, relative to the | 95 |
action or proceeding referred or the issue or question submitted, | 96 |
shall have all of the powers, duties, and authority of an active | 97 |
judge of the court in which the action or proceeding is pending. | 98 |
The court in which the action or proceeding is pending is notIn | 99 |
connection with a referral made under this section, no court is | 100 |
required to provide the parties and the retired judge with court | 101 |
or other
facilities, equipment, or personnel during his | 102 |
consideration of
the action, proceeding, issue, or question, or | 103 |
other support. The retired judge
shall not receive any | 104 |
compensation, other than that agreed to by
the parties and the | 105 |
retired judge, for histhe retired judge's
services during his | 106 |
consideration ofto advance and consider the action, proceeding, | 107 |
or to determine a specific issue, or
question in the action. | 108 |
(D) A(F)(1) If no jury trial is had under this section, a | 109 |
retired judge to whom a referral is made under this
section shall | 110 |
try all or some of the issues in the action or proceeding,
shall | 111 |
prepare relevant findings of fact and conclusions of law,
and | 112 |
shall enter a judgment in the action or proceeding in the
same | 113 |
manner as if hethe retired judge were an active judge of
the | 114 |
court. A
retired judge to whom a submission is made under this | 115 |
section
shall try the specific issue or question submitted, shall | 116 |
prepare
relevant findings of fact or conclusions of law, shall | 117 |
make a
determination on the issue or question submitted, and shall | 118 |
file
the findings, conclusions, and determination with the clerk | 119 |
of
the court in which the action or proceeding is pending.If a | 120 |
party has properly demanded a trial by jury in accordance with | 121 |
Rule 38 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, a retired judge to whom a | 122 |
referral is made shall preside over the jury trial and | 123 |
determination of all or some of the issues in the action. A trial | 124 |
by a jury under this section shall be conducted, and a | 125 |
determination by a jury under this section shall be made, in | 126 |
accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 2315. of the | 127 |
Revised Code and the Rules of Civil Procedure and in the same | 128 |
manner as trials and determinations by a jury in civil actions. | 129 |
The selection and summoning of jurors for a jury trial and | 130 |
determination under this section shall be in accordance with the | 131 |
applicable provisions of Chapter 2313. of the Revised Code. The | 132 |
fees of the jurors sworn shall be taxed as costs pursuant to | 133 |
section 2335.28 of the Revised Code. If the action is settled by | 134 |
the parties before the jurors are sworn, the parties shall pay the | 135 |
fees of the jurors. The jury commissioner or
clerk in charge of | 136 |
jurors shall make all of the necessary
arrangements to provide | 137 |
the jurors to the retired judge in the
same manner as jurors are | 138 |
provided pursuant to Chapter 2313. of
the Revised Code to the | 139 |
active judge of the court in which the
action is pending. | 140 |
(2) Any
judgment entered, and any finding of fact, conclusion | 141 |
of law, or
determination of an issue or question made, by a | 142 |
retired judge or by a jury in
accordance with this section shall | 143 |
have the same force and effect
as if it had been entered or made | 144 |
by an active judge of the
court or by a jury presided over by an | 145 |
active judge of the court, and any appeal from the judgment, | 146 |
finding, conclusion, or
determination shall be made as if the | 147 |
judgment had been entered,
or the finding, conclusion, or | 148 |
determination had been made, by an
active judge of the court or by | 149 |
a jury presided over by an
active judge of the court. | 150 |
Section 3. The General Assembly hereby respectfully requests | 169 |
the Supreme Court to modify Rule VI of the Rules for the | 170 |
Government of the Judiciary, including the corresponding forms 3 | 171 |
and 4 appended to that Rule, pursuant to its authority under the | 172 |
Ohio Constitution to make that Rule consistent with the amendments | 173 |
of this act to section 2701.10 of the Revised Code. The General | 174 |
Assembly further respectfully requests the Supreme Court to modify | 175 |
Rules 38 and 39 of the Rules of Civil Procedure pursuant to its | 176 |
authority under the Ohio Constitution to specify that those Rules | 177 |
apply to civil actions or proceedings under section 2701.10 of the | 178 |
Revised Code, as amended by this act. | 179 |