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Sub. H. B. No. 173 As Reported by the House Judiciary CommitteeAs Reported by the House Judiciary Committee
127th General Assembly | Regular Session | 2007-2008 |
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Representatives Seitz, Book
A BILL
To amend sections 107.08, 1901.06, 1907.13,
2301.01,
2501.02, 2503.01, 2743.191, 2743.70, and
2949.111
and to enact sections 145.2914, 2503.51,
2503.52,
2503.53, 2503.54, 2503.55, and 2503.60 of
the
Revised Code to change the
qualifications for all
judges, to require the
Supreme Court to establish
a qualification program
for candidates for
judicial office, to create the
Judicial Allotment
Review Commission to study and
review the
allotment of judgeships in the courts
for the
purpose of recommending legislation to
ensure the
efficient and prompt administration of
justice in
Ohio, to create the Judicial
Appointment Review
Commission to make
recommendations of persons to
fill judicial
vacancies, to specify that a
portion of certain
court costs currently
deposited to the credit of
the Reparations Fund
be deposited in the fund for
court security, and
to make appropriations for
court-related
purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 107.08, 1901.06, 1907.13,
2301.01,
2501.02, 2503.01, 2743.191, 2743.70, and 2949.111 be
amended and
sections 145.2914, 2503.51, 2503.52, 2503.53, 2503.54,
2503.55,
and 2503.60 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as
follows:
Sec. 107.08. (A) The office of a judge is vacant at the
expiration of the term of
the incumbent when no person has been
elected as
the judge's
successor.
The vacancy
shall be
filled by
appointment by the governor. If the appointment is to a
court of
appeals, court of common pleas, or municipal court, the
clerk of
the
court shall give written notice to the board of
elections
responsible for
conducting elections for that court of
the name of
the appointee. A successor
shall be elected for the
unexpired term
at the first general election for the
office that
occurs more than
forty days after
the vacancy occurs.
(B)(1) There is hereby created the judicial appointment
review
commission consisting of seven, nine, or eleven members as
determined by the governor. All members of the commission shall be
appointed by and serve without compensation at the pleasure of the
governor. Five members shall be at-large members whose terms of
office shall be two years and who shall participate in making
recommendations regarding all judicial vacancies considered by the
commission during their tenure. The remaining members shall be
regional members appointed to recommend persons to fill a specific
judicial vacancy and whose terms of office expire when the
commission makes its recommendations concerning that vacancy. Each
regional member shall be a resident of the territory over which
the court in which the vacancy occurred has jurisdiction. One
regional member shall represent the interests of labor and
consumers, and one regional member shall represent the interests
of business and industry. A majority of all of the members shall
be attorneys.
(2)
The governor shall select a chairperson of the commission
from among the at-large members, and
the chairperson shall serve
in that role at the pleasure of the
governor. The chairperson
shall establish procedures for the operation of the commission and
for the recommendation of persons to fill each vacancy. The
procedures shall provide for broad distribution of a notice of
each judicial vacancy to persons who are potentially interested in
being appointed to fill the vacancy, including posting of the
notice on the governor's official web site, and for application to
the commission by persons who wish to be considered for
recommendation to fill a vacancy. The governor's chief legal
counsel or the chief legal counsel's designee shall provide staff
support to the commission.
(3)
Whenever the office of a judge becomes vacant before the
expiration of the regular term for which the judge was elected or
by the expiration of the term of the incumbent when no person has
been elected as the judge's successor, the commission shall
recommend to the governor in alphabetical order three persons to
fill the vacancy. In
making a recommendation, the commission
shall consider the length
of time a person under consideration
has practiced law, whether
the person has been certified in a
specialty area pursuant to the
supreme court's rules for the
government of the bar, the person's
disciplinary history under
the code of professional responsibility
or rules of professional
conduct adopted by the supreme court,
comments received from the
county bar associations and
the
chairpersons of the county
central committees of the
political
parties in the county or
district in which the
judgeship is
located, and any other
factors the commission
considers relevant.
The governor may
appoint one of the three
recommended persons, ask the commission
to make additional
recommendations, or appoint
another person to
fill the vacancy.
(4) If the consideration of a vacancy under division (B)(3)
of this section creates a conflict of interest for a member of the
commission, the governor shall appoint a person to serve in place
of the member for the consideration of that vacancy.
Sec. 145.2914. (A) If the general assembly abolishes a
judgeship pursuant to section 2503.55 of the Revised Code and the
judgeship abolished is the most recently created judgeship of the
designated court and division, if any, the
public employer that
is responsible for the judicial office that
is to be eliminated
shall provide for a purchase of service credit on
behalf of an
individual who meets the requirements described in
division (B)
of this section and for payment of the entire cost of
the service
credit to be purchased.
(B) To be eligible to receive the service credit described in
this section, the individual who currently holds the judicial
office that is to be abolished shall meet all of the following
requirements:
(1) The individual shall be a member of the public employees
retirement system.
(2) The individual shall be eligible to retire or will become
eligible to retire as a result of purchasing the service credit.
(3) The individual shall agree to retire within ninety days
after receiving notice of payment of the amount described in
division (D) of this section.
(C) The employer shall purchase five years of service credit
for an individual described in division (B) of this section.
(D) On receipt of a request from an individual eligible to
receive the service credit described in this section, the system
shall obtain from its actuary certification of the additional
liability to the system for the amount of service credit described
in division (C) of this section and shall notify the employer of
such additional liability. The employer shall pay to the system an
amount equal to the additional liability resulting from the
purchase.
(E) On the election by an individual to receive the service
credit described in this section, the individual and the employer
shall agree upon a date for payment, or contracting for payment in
installments, to the system the cost of the service credit to be
purchased. The employer shall submit to the system a written
request for determination of the cost of the service credit and,
within forty-five days after receiving the request, the system
shall provide written notice of the cost to the employer.
The employer shall pay, or contract to pay in installments,
the cost of the service credit to be purchased on the date agreed
to by the individual and the employer. The payment shall be made
in accordance with rules adopted by the public employees
retirement board. The rules may provide for payment in
installments and for crediting the purchased service credit to the
individual's account upon the employer's contracting to pay the
cost in installments. The system shall notify the individual when
the individual is credited with service purchased under this
section. If the individual does not retire within ninety days
after receiving notice that the individual has been credited with
the purchased service credit, the system shall refund to the
employer the amount paid for the service credit.
No payment made to the system under this section shall affect
any payment required under section 145.48 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 1901.06. (A) A municipal judge during his the judge's
term of
office shall be a
qualified elector and a resident of the
territory of the court to which
he the judge is
elected or
appointed. A municipal judge shall have been admitted to the
practice of law in this state be an attorney at law in good
standing, shall be registered for active status with the supreme
court, and shall have been, for a total of at least six
years
preceding his appointment or the commencement of his
the judge's
term, engaged in
the practice of law in this state or served as a
judge of a court of record in
any jurisdiction in the United
States, or both.
Except as provided in section 1901.08 of the Revised Code,
the first election
of any newly created office of a municipal
judge shall be held at the next
regular municipal election
occurring not less than one hundred days after the
creation of the
office. The institution of a new municipal court shall take
place
on the first day of January next after the first election for the
court.
(B) As used in this section, "engaged in the practice of law"
means having had as a primary occupation one or a combination of
two or more of the following occupations:
(1) Attorney at law in good standing and registered for
active status with the supreme court;
(2) Professor of law at an accredited law school;
(3) Member of the general assembly if before becoming a
member of the general assembly the member otherwise engaged in the
practice of law in this state as a primary occupation;
(4) Any other occupation recognized as the practice of law by
rules or decisions of the supreme court.
Sec. 1907.13. A county court judge, at the time of filing a
nominating
petition for the office or at the time of appointment
to the office and
during the judge's term of office, shall be a
qualified elector and a resident
of the county court district in
which the judge is elected or appointed. A
county court judge does
not have to be a resident of an area of separate
jurisdiction in
the county court district to which the judge
may be assigned
pursuant to section 1907.15 of the Revised Code. Every
county
court judge shall be an attorney at law in good standing, shall be
registered for active status with the supreme court, and shall
have been admitted to the practice of
law in this state and shall
have been engaged, for a total of at
least six years preceding the
judge's appointment or the
commencement of the judge's term, in
the practice of law in
this state, except that the six-year
practice requirement does not
apply to a county court judge who is
holding office on the effective date of
this amendment and who
subsequently is a candidate for that office.
Judges shall be elected by the electors of the county court
district at the general election in even-numbered years as set
forth in section 1907.11 of the Revised Code for a term of six
years commencing on the first day of January following the
election for the county court or on the dates specified in
section
1907.11 of the Revised Code for particular county court
judges.
Their successors shall be elected in even-numbered years
every six
years.
All candidates for county court judge shall be nominated by
petition. The nominating petition shall be in the general form
and
signed and verified as prescribed by section 3513.261 of the
Revised Code and shall be signed by the lesser of fifty qualified
electors of the
county court district or a number of qualified
electors of the county court district not less than one per cent
of the
number of electors who voted for governor at the most
recent regular state
election in the district. A nominating
petition
shall not be accepted for filing or filed if it appears
on its
face to contain signatures aggregating in number more than
twice
the minimum aggregate number of signatures required by this
section. A nominating petition shall be filed with the board of
elections not later than four p.m. of the seventy-fifth day
before
the day of the general election.
As used in this section, "engaged in the practice of law"
means having had as a primary occupation one or a combination of
two or more of the following occupations:
(A) Attorney at law in good standing registered for active
status with the supreme court;
(B) Professor of law at an accredited law school;
(C) Member of the general assembly if before becoming a
member of the general assembly the member otherwise engaged in the
practice of law in this state as a primary occupation;
(D) Any other occupation recognized as the practice of law by
rules or decisions of the supreme court.
Sec. 2301.01. (A) There shall be a court of common pleas in
each county held by
one or more judges, each of whom has been
admitted to practice as an attorney
at law in this state and has,
for a total of at least six years preceding
the judge's
appointment or commencement of the
judge's term, engaged in the
practice of law in
this state or served as a judge of a court of
record in any jurisdiction in
the United States, or both, resides
in said county, and is elected by the
electors therein. Each judge
shall meet all of the following qualifications:
(1) Attorney at law in good standing and registered for
active status with the supreme court;
(2) Preceding the judge's appointment or the commencement of
the judge's term, either of the following:
(a) Engaging in the practice of law in this state for a total
of at least ten years;
(b) Engaging in the practice of law in this state for a total
of at least six years and service as a judge of a court of record
in any jurisdiction of the United States for a total of at least
six months.
(3) Residence in the county;
(4) Election by the electors of the county.
(B) Each judge shall be elected for six years at the general
election immediately preceding the year in which the term,
as
provided in sections
2301.02 and 2301.03 of the Revised Code,
commences, and the
judge's successor shall be elected at the
general election
immediately preceding the
expiration of such
term.
(C) The board of county commissioners of a county in which
there is one judge of the court of common pleas and in which the
population is less than fifty thousand may by resolution submit to
the electors of the county the question of reducing the minimum
number of years specified in division (A)(2)(a) of this section
the judge shall have engaged in the practice of law in this state
preceding the judge's appointment or commencement of the judge's
term to any number less than ten but not less than six. The board
of county commissioners shall certify the resolution to the board
of elections of the county. The board of elections shall make the
necessary arrangements for the submission of the question to the
electors of the county. The question shall be submitted at the
next general election occurring not less than forty-five days
after the resolution is certified to the board of elections.
Notice of the election shall be published in one or more
newspapers of general circulation in the county once a week for
four consecutive weeks prior to the election. If the electors
approve the resolution, the reduction in the minimum number of
years of practice shall apply to the judge elected at the next
election for judge of the court of common pleas following approval
of the resolution or to a judge appointed to fill a vacancy prior
to that time.
(D) As used in this section, "engaging in the practice of
law" means having had as a primary occupation one or a combination
of two or more of the following occupations:
(1) Attorney at law in good standing and registered for
active status with the supreme court;
(2) Professor of law at an accredited law school;
(3) Member of the general assembly if before becoming a
member of the general assembly the member otherwise engaged in the
practice of law in this state as a primary occupation;
(4) Any other occupation recognized as the practice of law by
rules or decisions of the supreme court.
Sec. 2501.02. Each judge of a court of appeals shall have
been admitted to practice as an attorney at law in this state be
an attorney at law in good standing, shall be registered for
active status with the supreme court, reside in the appellate
district to which the judge is elected or appointed, and shall
have, for a total of six twelve years preceding
the judge's
appointment
or
commencement of
the judge's term, engaged in
the
practice of
law in this
state or served as a judge of a court
of
record in any
jurisdiction in the United States, or both. One
judge shall be
chosen in each court of appeals district every two
years, and shall hold office for six years, beginning on the ninth
day of
February next after
the judge's election.
In addition to the original
jurisdiction conferred by Section
3 of Article IV, Ohio
Constitution, the court shall have
jurisdiction upon an appeal
upon questions of law to review,
affirm, modify, set aside, or
reverse judgments or final orders of
courts of record inferior to
the court of appeals within the
district, including the finding,
order, or judgment of a juvenile
court that a child is
delinquent, neglected, abused, or
dependent,
for prejudicial
error
committed by such lower court.
The court, on good cause shown, may issue writs of
supersedeas in any case, and all other writs, not specially
provided for or prohibited by statute, necessary to enforce the
administration of justice.
As used in this section, "engaged in the practice of law"
means having had as a primary occupation one or a combination of
two or more of the following occupations:
(A) Attorney at law in good standing and registered for
active status with the supreme court;
(B) Professor of law at an accredited law school;
(C) Member of the general assembly if before becoming a
member of the general assembly the member otherwise engaged in the
practice of law in this state as a primary occupation;
(D) Any other occupation recognized as the practice of law by
rules or decisions of the supreme court.
Sec. 2503.01. The supreme court shall consist of a chief
justice and six
justices,. The chief justice and each of whom has
been admitted to practice as justice shall reside in this state,
be an attorney at law in
this state in good standing, be
registered for active status with the supreme court, and has have,
for a total of at least six fifteen years preceding his
appointment or commencement of his the justice's term, engaged
in
the practice of law in this state or served as a judge of a court
of record
in any jurisdiction of the United States, or both.
As used in this section, "engaged in the practice of law"
means having had as a primary occupation one or a combination of
two or more of the following occupations:
(A) Attorney at law in good standing and registered for
active status with the supreme court;
(B) Professor of law at an accredited law school;
(C) Member of the general assembly if before becoming a
member of the general assembly the member otherwise engaged in the
practice of law in this state as a primary occupation;
(D) Any other occupation recognized as the practice of law by
rules or decisions of the supreme court.
Sec. 2503.51. (A) The supreme court shall by rule establish
a judicial candidate qualification program to ensure that a
candidate for the office of judge of a municipal court, county
court, court of common pleas, court of appeals, or the supreme
court is professionally qualified for the office. The rules shall
include a requirement that every candidate, within five years
before the date of the general election for the office to which
the candidate seeks election, attend a course or courses approved
by the supreme court totaling at least forty hours and covering
civil and criminal procedure, the Ohio Rules of Evidence,
constitutional law, judicial demeanor and decorum, and any other
subjects that the supreme court may require. The supreme court
shall offer a course or courses for actual and potential judicial
candidates that satisfy all the judicial qualification course
requirements
specified in this division for judicial candidates.
The supreme
court may charge a reasonable fee for any course
offered pursuant
to this section, but the aggregate of the fees
charged to
attendees shall not exceed the cost of producing and
offering the
course. The rules may provide
for any of the
following:
(1) That designated courses taken to meet continuing legal
education requirements established by the supreme court apply
toward the hours of education required by the judicial candidate
qualification program;
(2) That each candidate for a particular type of judge take
courses required for all judicial candidates and courses required
only for candidates for that particular type of judge and that a
candidate for a particular judicial office take one or more
courses in specific areas of law not required of all candidates
for judicial office;
(3) An exemption from all or part of the hours of course work
for a candidate who has been certified as a specialist pursuant to
rules adopted by the supreme court if the certification is in an
area of law that is directly pertinent to the judicial office to
which the candidate seeks election.
(B) The educational qualifications set forth under division
(A) of this section do not apply to a candidate who has already
held the office to which the candidate seeks election or to a
candidate for the office of judge of any division of a court of
common pleas who has already held the office of judge of any
division of a court of common pleas.
(C) The supreme court by rule may require that a person who
is appointed to the office of judge meet the educational
qualifications set forth under division (A) of this section, may
exempt a candidate for judge or a person appointed to a judgeship
from meeting those qualifications, and may delay the date by which
a candidate or appointee must meet those qualifications if a
candidate is a replacement for a candidate who died shortly before
the election or if other exigent circumstances exist.
(D) A candidate for the office of judge of a municipal court,
county court, court of common pleas, court of appeals, or the
supreme court, not later than seventy-five days before the date of
the general election for the office to which the candidate seeks
election, shall present to the board of elections or to the
secretary of state, as applicable, a document from the supreme
court certifying that the candidate has met the educational
qualifications required by division (A) of this section or stating
that the candidate is exempt from meeting those qualifications
before the election.
Sec. 2503.52. (A) There is hereby created the judicial
allotment review commission consisting of nineteen members, one of
whom shall be the chief justice of the supreme court, and the
remaining to be appointed in the following manner:
(1) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint
two members who shall be members of the house of representatives,
one of whom the speaker shall appoint upon the recommendation of
the minority leader of the house of representatives.
(2) The president of the senate shall appoint two members who
shall be members of the senate, one of whom the president of the
senate shall appoint upon the recommendation of the minority
leader of the senate.
(3) The chief justice of the supreme court shall appoint
eight members as follows:
(a) Two members who are judges of the court of appeals and
who are chosen from a list of four nominees submitted by the Ohio
court of appeals judges association;
(b) Four members who are judges of the court of common pleas,
of which one is chosen from a list of two nominees submitted by
the Ohio common pleas judges association, one is chosen from a
list of two nominees submitted by the Ohio association of juvenile
court judges, one is chosen from a list of two nominees submitted
by the Ohio association of domestic relations judges, and one is
chosen from a list of two nominees submitted by the Ohio
association of probate judges;
(c) Two members who are judges of the municipal court or
county court and who are chosen from a list of four nominees
submitted by the association of municipal/county judges of Ohio.
(4) The governor shall appoint four members as follows:
(a) One member who is a county commissioner and who is
appointed upon the nomination of the county commissioners
association of Ohio;
(b) One member who is appointed upon the nomination of the
Ohio municipal league;
(c) Two members who have been admitted to and are engaged in
the practice of law in Ohio and who are appointed upon the
nomination of the Ohio state bar association.
(5) The chairperson of the Ohio judicial conference shall
appoint two members.
(B) The initial appointments of members to the commission as
provided in division (A) of this section shall be made within
ninety days after the effective date of this section. Upon the
appointment of the initial members of the commission, the
commission shall proceed to conduct its business pursuant to
sections 2503.53 to 2503.55 of the Revised Code. The term of
office of each initial member of the commission ends upon the
submission of the commission's report pursuant to section 2503.55
of the Revised Code. Any vacancy in the commission shall be filled
in the manner provided for the original appointment.
(C) The subsequent appointments of new members to the
commission as provided in division (A) of this section shall be
made within thirty days after April 1 in the year 2012 and within
thirty days after April 1 in every tenth year after the year 2012.
Upon the subsequent appointment of new members of the commission,
the commission shall proceed to conduct its business pursuant to
this section and sections 2503.53 to 2503.55 of the Revised Code.
The term of office of each subsequently appointed member of the
commission ends upon the submission of the report of the
commission that was prepared while the subsequently appointed
member was a member of the commission. This section and sections
2503.53 to 2503.55 of the Revised Code, insofar as applicable,
apply to the commission each time the new members are appointed to
the commission pursuant to this division.
Sec. 2503.53. (A) The chief justice of the supreme court
shall serve as the chairperson of the judicial allotment review
commission. The members of the commission shall meet and perform
their duties and functions as provided in this section and
sections 2503.54 and 2503.55 of the Revised Code. The initial
meeting of the commission shall convene on a date designated by
the chief justice after the initial appointment of the members of
the commission as provided in division (B) of section 2503.52 of
the Revised Code, and the first meeting of each group of
subsequently appointed members of the commission shall convene on
a date designated by the chief justice after each subsequent
appointment of new members to the commission as provided in
division (C) of that section. The chief justice, upon notice to
the governor, may convene a meeting within twenty days after a
judgeship becomes vacant to consider the need for continuing that
judgeship. The chief justice or a designee of the chief justice
shall convene every meeting of the commission. A majority of the
members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
(B) The supreme court shall reimburse the members of the
commission for any actual and necessary expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties and functions under this section and
sections 2503.54 and 2503.55 of the Revised Code.
(C) The supreme court may provide any professional,
technical, or clerical employees that are necessary for the
commission to perform its duties and functions.
Sec. 2503.54. (A) As used in this section and section 2503.55
of the Revised Code:
(1) "Court" means the court of appeals; the general division,
probate division, domestic relations division, or juvenile
division of the court of common pleas; the municipal court; or the
county court; whichever is applicable.
(2) "Cases" means civil cases, criminal cases, and traffic
cases.
(3) "Caseload" means the number of civil cases, criminal
cases, and traffic cases that are assigned to an individual judge
of a court.
(B) The judicial allotment review commission shall study and
review the allotment of judgeships for each court, in relation to
the number of cases filed in the court and the disposition of
those cases, for the purpose of making recommendations to the
general assembly for enactment of legislation to ensure the
efficient, prompt, and sure administration of justice in this
state.
(C) In studying and reviewing the allotment of judgeships for
each court under this section and making its recommendations to
the general assembly under section 2503.55 of the Revised Code,
the commission shall consider all of the following that are
applicable to a particular court:
(1) The number and types of cases that were filed in the
court in the preceding five years, the number and types of those
cases that were assigned to each judge of that court, and the
ranking of these numbers and types in comparison to other courts
in the state of similar size and jurisdiction;
(2) The number and types of cases assigned to each judge of
the court that are currently pending and the comparative ranking
of these numbers and types in comparison to other courts in the
state of similar size and jurisdiction;
(3) Any increase, decrease, or other changes in the caseload
of each judge of the court in the preceding five years and the
comparative ranking of the caseload of the judges of that court in
relation to any increase, decrease, or other changes in the
caseload of each judge of other courts in the state of similar
size and jurisdiction;
(4) Any standards established by the supreme court for
manageable workloads or caseloads;
(5) The frequency with which the court has requested or
received temporary assignments of an additional judge or
additional judges in the preceding five years;
(6) The number of trial judges in relation to each judge of
the court of appeals within the district of that court of appeals;
(7) The population growth and density in the area in which
the court has territorial jurisdiction;
(8) In the case of courts of appeals, the population of each
court of appeals district, the number of counties that constitute
the district, the number of days in which cases are heard in
counties within the district other than the county that is the
principal seat of the court of appeals or the county in which the
court of appeals primarily holds court, and the time spent for the
judges to travel to those other counties for purposes of hearing
cases;
(9) Whether the area in which the court has territorial
jurisdiction is urban or rural in character;
(10) The presence of any state or local government
institutions in the area in which the court has territorial
jurisdiction;
(11) Any new legislation, events, or court litigation that
may have an impact on the caseload or administrative workload of a
court;
(12) Any information or recommendations provided by a county
or municipal legislative authority that funds the court or by a
bar association that operates within the territorial jurisdiction
of the court regarding the creation of judgeships for or
elimination of judgeships from the court;
(13) Any other factors that the commission may consider
relevant in reviewing the allotment of judgeships for the purpose
of making its recommendations to the general assembly under
section 2503.55 of the Revised Code.
(D) If the population of the area in which a court has
territorial jurisdiction increases by twenty per cent between
April 1, 2011, and April 1, 2021, and between the first day of
April of the first year and the first day of April of the tenth
year of each ten-year period after 2021, the judges of that court
may request of the general assembly that one additional judgeship
be established for that court.
(E) If the chief justice convenes a meeting of the commission
to consider the need for continuing a particular judgeship that
has become vacant, the chief justice shall immediately notify the
governor that the meeting has been convened and of the judgeship
that has become vacant. The commission shall within forty-five
days
after the meeting prepare a report on the need for
continuing the
judgeship and submit the report to the governor,
the supreme
court, and the general assembly.
Sec. 2503.55. (A) On or before the first anniversary of the
effective date of this section, then on or
before April 1 in the
year 2013, and then on or before April 1 in
every tenth year
after the year 2013, as applicable, the judicial
allotment review
commission shall prepare a report and submit it
to the supreme
court and to the general assembly. The report shall
include the
commission's conclusions regarding its study and
review of the
allotment of judgeships for each court under section
2503.54 of
the Revised Code and its recommendations based on those
conclusions. The recommendations may include, but are not limited
to, enacting legislation to increase or decrease the number of
judgeships of a court or to change the status of a judgeship of a
court from part-time to full-time.
(B) If the members of the commission do not unanimously agree
on the recommendations that are to be included in the report
described in division (A) of this section, the commission shall
determine by a majority vote of the members the specific
recommendations that are to be included in that report. The
members who vote against the inclusion of any of the
recommendations in the report may submit a minority report to the
supreme court and the general assembly that includes the specific
recommendations of those members.
(C) In enacting legislation to implement a recommendation
of
the commission to abolish a judgeship, the general assembly
shall
designate only the court and, in the case of a court of
common
pleas or municipal court, the division, if any, of the
court a
judgeship of which is to be abolished. Except as otherwise
provided in this division, the judgeship abolished shall be the
most recently created judgeship of the designated court and
division, if any. If
the term of office of the most recently
created judgeship will expire one year or more after the
effective date of the act abolishing the judgeship, the judgeship
shall be abolished
whenever it becomes vacant or at the end of
the term. If the term
of office of the most recently created
judgeship will expire less than one year after the effective
date
of the act abolishing the judgeship, the judgeship shall be
abolished whenever it becomes vacant
or at the end of the
following term. If a judgeship other than the most recently
created
judgeship of the designated court and division, if any,
becomes
vacant before the most recently created judgeship becomes
vacant
or the applicable term of the most recently created
judgeship
ends, and before the date by which a declaration of
candidacy for
election to the next term of office of the most
recently created
judgeship must be filed, that other judgeship
shall be abolished
instead of the most recently created
judgeship.
Sec. 2503.60. There is hereby created in the state treasury
the supreme court security fund. The supreme court shall use the
money in the supreme court security fund to fund court security
projects. The treasurer of state shall deposit in the fund the
portion of court costs paid pursuant to section 2743.70 of the
Revised Code that is mandated by that section to be deposited in
the fund. The supreme court shall adopt guidelines to govern
disbursements from the fund.
Sec. 2743.191. (A)(1) There is hereby created in the state
treasury the reparations fund, which shall be used only for the
following purposes:
(a) The
payment of awards of reparations that are granted by
the attorney
general;
(b) The
compensation of any
personnel needed by the attorney
general to
administer sections
2743.51 to 2743.72 of the Revised
Code;
(c) The compensation of
witnesses as provided in division (J)
of section 2743.65 of the
Revised Code;
(d) Other administrative costs of hearing and
determining
claims for an award of reparations by the attorney general;
(e) The costs of
administering sections 2907.28 and 2969.01
to 2969.06 of the
Revised Code;
(f) The costs of investigation and decision-making as
certified by the
attorney general;
(g) The provision of state financial assistance to
victim
assistance programs in accordance with sections 109.91 and
109.92
of the Revised Code;
(h) The costs of paying the expenses
of sex offense-related
examinations and antibiotics pursuant to
section 2907.28 of the
Revised Code;
(i) The cost of printing and distributing
the pamphlet
prepared by the attorney general pursuant to section
109.42 of the
Revised Code;
(j) Subject to division (D) of
section 2743.71 of the Revised
Code, the costs associated with
the printing and providing of
information cards or other printed
materials to law enforcement
agencies and prosecuting authorities
and with publicizing the
availability of awards of reparations
pursuant to section 2743.71
of the Revised Code;
(k) The payment of costs of administering a DNA specimen
collection procedure pursuant to sections 2152.74 and
2901.07 of
the Revised
Code, of performing DNA analysis of those
DNA
specimens, and of entering the resulting DNA records regarding
those analyses into the
DNA database pursuant to section 109.573
of the Revised Code;
(l) The payment of actual costs associated with initiatives
by the attorney general for the apprehension, prosecution, and
accountability of offenders, and the enhancing of services to
crime victims. The amount of payments made pursuant to division
(A)(1)(l) of this section during any given fiscal year shall not
exceed five per cent of the balance of the reparations fund at the
close of the immediately previous fiscal year;
(m) The costs of administering the adult parole authority's
supervision pursuant to division (E) of section 2971.05 of the
Revised Code of sexually violent predators who are sentenced to a
prison term pursuant to division (A)(3) of section 2971.03 of the
Revised Code and of offenders who are sentenced to a prison term
pursuant to division (B)(1)(a), (b), or (c), (B)(2)(a), (b), or
(c), or (B)(3)(a), (b), (c), or (d) of that section.
(2) All The portion of costs paid
pursuant to section 2743.70
of the Revised
Code that is mandated by that section to be
deposited in the fund, the
portions of license reinstatement fees
mandated by
division
(F)(2)(b) of section 4511.191 of the Revised
Code to be
credited
to the fund, the portions of the proceeds of
the sale of
a
forfeited vehicle specified in division (C)(2) of
section
4503.234 of the Revised Code, payments
collected by the
department
of rehabilitation and correction from prisoners
who
voluntarily
participate in an approved work and training program
pursuant
to
division (C)(8)(b)(ii) of section 5145.16
of the
Revised Code, and
all moneys
collected by the
state pursuant to
its right of
subrogation provided in section
2743.72 of the
Revised Code shall
be deposited in the fund.
(B) In making an award of reparations, the attorney
general
shall
render the award against the state. The award
shall be
accomplished only through the following procedure,
and the
following procedure
may be enforced by writ of mandamus directed
to the appropriate
official:
(1) The attorney general shall provide
for payment of the
claimant or providers in the amount
of the award only if the
amount of the award is fifty dollars or more.
(2) The expense shall be charged against all available
unencumbered moneys in the fund.
(3) If sufficient
unencumbered moneys do not exist in the
fund, the attorney
general shall make
application for payment of
the award out of the emergency
purposes account or any other
appropriation for emergencies or
contingencies, and payment out of
this account or other
appropriation shall be authorized if there
are sufficient moneys
greater than the sum total of then pending
emergency purposes
account requests or requests for releases from
the other
appropriations.
(4) If sufficient moneys do not exist in the account or
any
other appropriation for emergencies or contingencies to pay
the
award, the attorney general shall request the
general assembly to
make an appropriation sufficient to pay the award, and no payment
shall be made until the appropriation has been made. The
attorney
general shall make this appropriation request
during the current
biennium and during each succeeding biennium until a sufficient
appropriation is made. If, prior to the time that an
appropriation
is made by the general assembly pursuant to this
division, the
fund has sufficient unencumbered funds to pay the
award or part of
the award, the available funds shall be used to
pay the award or
part of the award, and the appropriation request
shall be amended
to request only sufficient funds to pay that
part
of the award
that is unpaid.
(C) The attorney general shall not make payment on a
decision
or order granting an award until all appeals
have been
determined
and all rights to appeal exhausted, except
as otherwise
provided
in this section. If any party to a claim
for an award of
reparations appeals from only a portion of an
award, and a
remaining portion provides for the payment of money
by the state,
that part of the award calling for the payment of money by the
state and not a subject of the appeal shall be processed for
payment as described in this section.
(D) The attorney general shall prepare itemized bills for
the
costs of
printing and
distributing the pamphlet the attorney
general prepares
pursuant to section 109.42 of the Revised Code.
The itemized bills shall set
forth the name
and address of the
persons owed the amounts set forth in them.
(E) As used in this section, "DNA analysis" and "DNA
specimen"
have the same meanings as in section 109.573 of the
Revised Code.
Sec. 2743.70. (A)(1) The court, in which any person is
convicted of or pleads guilty to any offense other than a traffic
offense that is not a moving violation, shall impose the
following
sum as costs in the case in addition to any other court
costs that
the court is required by law to impose upon the
offender:
(a) Thirty dollars, if the offense is a felony;
(b) Nine dollars, if the offense is a misdemeanor.
The court shall not waive the payment of the thirty or nine
dollars court costs, unless the court determines that the
offender
is indigent and waives the payment of all court costs
imposed upon
the indigent offender. All such moneys Twenty-eight dollars of the
court costs if the offense is a felony and seven dollars of the
court costs if the offense is a misdemeanor shall be
transmitted
on the first business day of each month by the clerk
of the court
to the treasurer of state and deposited by the
treasurer in the
reparations fund. The clerk of the court shall transmit two
dollars of the court costs on the first business day of each month
to the treasurer of state, and the treasurer shall deposit that
money in the supreme court security fund created by section
2503.60 of the Revised Code.
(2) The juvenile court in which a child is found to be a
delinquent child or a juvenile traffic offender for an act which,
if committed by an adult, would be an offense other than a
traffic
offense that is not a moving violation, shall impose the
following
sum as costs in the case in addition to any other court
costs that
the court is required or permitted by law to impose
upon the
delinquent child or juvenile traffic offender:
(a) Thirty dollars, if the act, if committed by an adult,
would be a felony;
(b) Nine dollars, if the act, if committed by an adult,
would
be a misdemeanor.
The thirty or nine dollars court costs shall be collected
in
all cases unless the court determines the juvenile is indigent
and
waives the payment of all court costs, or enters an order on
its
journal stating that it has determined that the juvenile is
indigent, that no other court costs are to be taxed in the case,
and that the payment of the thirty or nine dollars court costs is
waived. All such moneys Twenty-eight dollars of the court costs if
the act if committed by an adult would be a felony and seven
dollars of the court costs if the act if committed by an adult
would be a misdemeanor collected during a month shall be
transmitted
on or before the twentieth day of the following month
by
the clerk of the court to the
treasurer of state and deposited
by the treasurer in the
reparations fund. The clerk of the court
shall transmit on or before the twentieth day of the following
month to the treasurer of state two dollars of the court costs
collected in each case during a month, and the treasurer shall
deposit that money in the supreme court security fund created by
section 2503.60 of the Revised Code.
(B) Whenever a person is charged with any offense other
than
a traffic offense that is not a moving violation and posts
bail
pursuant to sections 2937.22 to 2937.46 of the Revised Code,
Criminal Rule 46, or Traffic Rule 4, the court shall add to the
amount of the bail the thirty or nine dollars required to be paid
by division (A)(1) of this section. The thirty or nine dollars
shall be retained by the clerk of the court until the person is
convicted, pleads guilty, forfeits bail, is found not guilty, or
has the charges dismissed. If the person is
convicted, pleads
guilty, or forfeits bail, the clerk shall
transmit twenty-eight of
the thirty or seven of the nine dollars to the treasurer of state,
who shall deposit it in the reparations fund, and the clerk shall
transmit two of the thirty or nine dollars to the treasurer of
state, who shall deposit that money in the supreme court security
fund created by section 2503.60 of the Revised Code. If the person
is
found not guilty or the charges are dismissed, the
clerk shall
return the thirty or nine dollars to the person.
(C) No person shall be placed or held in jail for failing
to
pay the additional thirty or nine dollars court costs or bail
that
are required to be paid by this section.
(D) As used in this section:
(1) "Moving violation" means any violation of any statute
or
ordinance, other than section 4513.263 of the Revised Code or
an
ordinance that is substantially equivalent to that section,
that
regulates the operation of vehicles, streetcars, or
trackless
trolleys on highways or streets or that regulates size
or load
limitations or fitness requirements of vehicles. "Moving
violation" does not include the violation of any statute or
ordinance that regulates pedestrians or the parking of vehicles.
(2) "Bail" means cash, a check, a money order, a credit
card,
or any other form of money that is posted by or for an
offender
pursuant to sections 2937.22 to 2937.46 of the Revised
Code,
Criminal Rule 46, or Traffic Rule 4 to prevent the offender
from
being placed or held in a detention facility, as defined in
section 2921.01 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 2949.111. (A) As used in this section:
(1) "Court costs" means any
assessment
that the court
requires
an
offender to pay
to defray the costs of
operating the
court.
(2)
"State fines or costs" means any costs imposed or
forfeited bail
collected by the court under section 2743.70 of the
Revised Code for deposit into the
reparations fund or supreme
court security fund or under
section 2949.091 of the Revised Code
for deposit into the
general
revenue fund and all fines,
penalties, and forfeited bail
collected by the
court and paid to a
law library association under
sections 3375.50 to 3375.53 of the
Revised Code.
(3) "Reimbursement" means any reimbursement for the costs of
confinement
that the court orders an offender to pay pursuant to
section
2929.28 of the Revised Code,
any supervision fee, any fee
for the
costs of
house arrest
with
electronic monitoring that an
offender agrees to
pay, any
reimbursement for the
costs of an
investigation or prosecution
that the court orders an
offender to
pay pursuant to section
2929.71 of the Revised
Code, or any other
costs that the court
orders an offender to pay.
(4) "Supervision fees" means any fees that a court,
pursuant
to
sections 2929.18, 2929.28, and 2951.021 of the
Revised Code,
requires
an offender who is under a
community control sanction
to
pay for
supervision services.
(5) "Community control sanction" has the same meaning as
in
section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.
(B) Unless the court, in accordance with division (C) of
this
section, enters in the record of the case a different method
of
assigning
payments, if a person who
is
charged with a misdemeanor
is convicted of or pleads guilty
to
the
offense, if the court
orders the offender to pay any
combination
of
court costs,
state
fines or costs, restitution, a
conventional fine, or
any
reimbursement, and
if
the
offender makes any payment
of any of
them to a clerk of court,
the clerk
shall assign the
offender's
payment
in the following manner:
(1) If the court ordered the offender to pay any
court
costs,
the
offender's payment shall be assigned toward the
satisfaction
of
those court costs until
they
have been entirely paid.
(2)
If the court ordered the offender to pay any state fines
or costs and
if all of the court costs that the court ordered the
offender to pay have been
paid, the remainder of the offender's
payment shall be assigned on a pro rata
basis toward the
satisfaction of the state fines or costs until they have been
entirely paid.
(3) If the court ordered the offender to pay any
restitution
and if all of the
court costs
and state fines or costs that the
court ordered the
offender to
pay have been paid, the
remainder of
the
offender's
payment
shall be assigned toward the
satisfaction
of the
restitution until
it has been
entirely paid.
(4) If the court ordered the offender to pay any
fine and
if
all of the
court costs, state fines or
costs, and restitution
that
the court ordered the
offender to pay have been
paid, the
remainder of the
offender's payment
shall be assigned toward the
satisfaction of the fine
until
it has been entirely paid.
(5) If the court ordered the offender to pay any
reimbursement and if all of the
court costs,
state fines or costs,
restitution, and
fines
that the
court
ordered the offender to pay
have been
paid, the
remainder
of the offender's payment
shall be
assigned
toward the satisfaction of the
reimbursements
until
they
have been entirely paid.
(C) If a person who is charged with a misdemeanor is
convicted of or pleads guilty to the offense and if the court
orders the offender to pay any combination of
court costs,
state
fines or costs, restitution,
fines, or
reimbursements, the court,
at the time it orders
the
offender to
make those payments, may
prescribe
an
order of
payments
that
differs
from the
order set
forth in division (B) of
this section
by entering in
the record of
the
case the
order so
prescribed.
If a different
order is entered
in the record,
on receipt
of any payment,
the
clerk of the
court
shall assign the payment
in the manner
prescribed by the court.
Section 2. That existing sections 107.08, 1901.06,
1907.13,
2301.01, 2501.02, 2503.01, 2743.191, 2743.70, and
2949.111 of the
Revised Code are hereby repealed.
Section 3. The qualifications for office for judges of
municipal courts, county courts, courts of common pleas, courts of
appeals, and the Supreme Court that were in effect on the date
immediately preceding the effective date of this section shall
remain
unchanged for each judge in any of those courts until the
end of
that term of that judge. The new qualifications for office
for
judges of municipal courts, county courts, courts of common
pleas,
courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court provided in this
act
shall take effect for each judgeship in each of those courts
when
a judge is elected to that judgeship on or after the
effective
date of this section.
Section 4. It is the intent of the General Assembly that
courses that satisfy the requirements of the judicial candidate
qualification program under section 2503.51 of the Revised Code
may also count toward the continuing legal education requirement
for attorneys under the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of
the Bar of Ohio provided the course meets the requirements of Rule
X of the Rules for the Government of the Bar. The General Assembly
therefore respectfully requests that the Supreme Court modify its
rules to put the General Assembly's intent into effect.
Section 5. All items in this section are hereby appropriated
as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the
credit of the General Revenue Fund and State Special Revenue Fund
Group. For all appropriations made in this act, the amounts in the
first column are for fiscal year 2008, and the amounts in the
second column are for fiscal year 2009. The appropriations made in
this act are in addition to any other appropriations made for the
2007-2009 biennium.
JSC THE JUDICIARY/SUPREME COURT
State Special Revenue Fund Group
5DD |
005-612 |
|
Supreme Court Security |
|
$ |
3,800,000 |
|
$ |
3,800,000 |
TOTAL SSR State Special Revenue Fund Group |
|
$ |
3,800,000 |
|
$ |
3,800,000 |
TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS |
|
$ |
3,800,000 |
|
$ |
3,800,000 |
The foregoing appropriation item 005-612, Supreme Court
Security, shall be used by the Supreme Court to fund court
security projects.
Section 6. Within the limits set forth in this act, the
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts
indicating the source and amount of money for each appropriation
made in this act and shall determine the form and manner in which
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from
appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as
though made in the main operating appropriations act of the 127th
General Assembly.
The appropriations made in this act are subject to all
provisions of the main operating appropriations act of the 127th
General Assembly that are generally applicable to such
appropriations.
Section 7. Sections 2503.60, 2743.191, 2743.70, and
2949.111
of the Revised Code and Sections 4, 5, and 6 of this act,
as
amended or enacted in this act, are not subject to the
referendum. Therefore, under Ohio Constitution, Article II,
Section 1d and section 1.471 of the Revised Code those sections as
amended or enacted by this act go into immediate effect when this
act becomes law.
|