Ohio’s high court has amended its Rules of Superintendence, a change
that will provide more protections of personal information in juvenile
and domestic cases.
Local courts in Ohio will now have to protect certain information considered
“sensitive” in
juvenile and
domestic cases. The new rule affects civil proceedings.
The amendment, Sup.R. 44(C)(2)(h), restricts the following types of documents
from being accessible to the public, as they are considered sensitive
and no longer defined as a case document.
- Health records
- Reports on drug and alcohol
- Guardian ad litem reports
- Reports resulting from home investigations
- Any report or documentation relating to custody, parental rights, companionship, etc.
- Assessments for domestic violence
- Financial records, including appraisals of assets
Documentation such as motions, complaints, and dockets will remain accessible
to the public. Any information now considered protected can only be accessed
by parties involved in the case and their legal counsel.
The Ohio Supreme Court moved to approve these changes after receiving a
recommendation from the Ohio Task Force on Family Law and Children as
well as the Report and Recommendations on Family Law Reform. For more
information, you can
read the amendment directly or read an
overview on Court News Ohio.
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