Cleveland Law Library Weblog

Ohio Court of Claims Now Offers E-Filing For Claims vs. the State, Public Records Requests, and Crime Victims Compensation Cases

Many Ohio courts are jumping on the bandwagon to offer E-filing. The Ohio Court of Claims is the latest to join the movement with the launch of its E-Filing system called Odyssey eFileOH™.  According to the Court's website, "Odyssey eFileOH allows users to open cases and file documents from a user-friendly, secure website from anywhere – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system streamlines filing processes and eliminates the need to file paper documents at the clerk’s counter." Registration at http://www.efileoh.com/ is required, and that site indicates that E-filing is available for the following types of cases: Claims vs. the State; Public Records Requests; and Crime Victims Compensation case types.

The Court has also gone 1 step further and offered an automated specific option for self-represented litigants called Odyssey Guide & File™.  According to the Court, this interface "is similar to a popular tax preparation software" where users will be "guided through a series of questions... [that] will help automatically prepare and file ...court forms online."

Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court Introduces E-Filing Today, 4/17/17

Effective today, April 17, 2017, E-Filing is now available in the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court. As part of the launch of this new service, the Court issued E-Filing Administrative Order 1.0 containing the general rules for E-filing.

The Court's Press Release explains that:

"Attorneys may now electronically file all new domestic relations cases, except domestic violence, beginning April 17, 2017. Other filings in existing cases such as affidavits, briefs, motions, will also be accepted. Self-represented parties may participate in the e-filing program but will not be required to do so. “This is a major step forward in the Court’s efforts to provide access to justice and make our system more convenient. By investing in technology, we expect increased efficiencies and tremendous cost-savings to taxpayers,” said Administrative Judge Rosemary Grdina Gold. “The time saved from improved processes will allow us to focus on better serving the needs of our customers.” The e-filing system will allow court documents that are filed electronically to be integrated into the Court’s electronic case management system. ... There are no additional costs to e-file – users will pay the same filing fees charged for filing paper documents."

The Press Release also identifies the advantages of the new E-filing system.

An E-Filing Account Application, an E-Filing User Guide, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found in the E-Filing portion the Clerk of Courts’ website: http://coc.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/efiling.aspx.

An E-Filing Training Video will be coming soon on the Clerk of Court's web site.

Ohio Supreme Court Adopts Amendments to its Rules of Practice

Yesterday, the Ohio Supreme Court announced the that it had adopted various amendments to the rules that govern how cases are filed and proceed before the Court. A Press Release from the Court summarized the changes as follows:

• Rule 2.02 – Pro Hac Vice Admission – Clarifies the requirement that out-of-state attorneys must file a motion for admission before being deemed to have made an appearance in a case.
• Rule 3.02 – Filing Electronic Documents by E-mail – Eliminates filing by email because attorneys and self-represented litigants can file electronically through the Court’s e-filing portal.
• Rule 4.06 – Substitution of Parties – Directs parties on how to proceed when substituting a party is required.
• Rule 11.06 – Applications for Reopening in Death-Penalty Cases – Increases to 15 the page limit for applications and requires specific citations to the record.
• Rules 16.08 and 17.08 – Modifies the rules to permit filing a citation to relevant authority less than seven days before oral argument if the authority was issued within that timeframe.

Click here for the text of the amendments.

Ohio Supreme Court Opening Voluntary E-filing to All Attorneys Starting January 5, 2015

The Ohio's Supreme Court's e-filing portal is scheduled to be available to all attorneys starting January 5, 2015. However, the Supreme Court has passed a few new Rules that will affect e-filing:

• Documents received after 5 p.m. Eastern Time through the e-Filing Portal will not be considered for filing until the next business day.
• Documents with more than 300 pages must be submitted as multiple PDF documents instead of one large file.
• e-Filing is optional; however, attorneys who choose to file documents through the portal must register and set up an account.

A complete version of the e-filing Rules are available on the Internet.