Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 109 | Attorney General
Section 109.42 | Compilation of Statutes Relative to Victim's Rights.

Effective: March 22, 2019
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 201, House Bill 1 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) The attorney general shall prepare and have printed a pamphlet that contains a compilation of all statutes relative to victim's rights in which the attorney general lists and explains the statutes in the form of a victim's bill of rights. The attorney general shall distribute the pamphlet to all sheriffs, marshals, municipal corporation and township police departments, constables, and other law enforcement agencies, to all prosecuting attorneys, city directors of law, village solicitors, and other similar chief legal officers of municipal corporations, and to organizations that represent or provide services for victims of crime. The victim's bill of rights set forth in the pamphlet shall contain a description of all of the rights of victims that are provided for in Chapter 2930. or in any other section of the Revised Code and shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) The right of a victim or a victim's representative to attend a proceeding before a grand jury, in a juvenile case, or in a criminal case pursuant to a subpoena without being discharged from the victim's or representative's employment, having the victim's or representative's employment terminated, having the victim's or representative's pay decreased or withheld, or otherwise being punished, penalized, or threatened as a result of time lost from regular employment because of the victim's or representative's attendance at the proceeding pursuant to the subpoena, as set forth in section 2151.211, 2930.18, 2939.121, or 2945.451 of the Revised Code;
(2) The potential availability pursuant to section 2151.359 or 2152.61 of the Revised Code of a forfeited recognizance to pay damages caused by a child when the delinquency of the child or child's violation of probation or community control is found to be proximately caused by the failure of the child's parent or guardian to subject the child to reasonable parental authority or to faithfully discharge the conditions of probation or community control;
(3) The availability of awards of reparations pursuant to sections 2743.51 to 2743.72 of the Revised Code for injuries caused by criminal offenses;
(4) The right of the victim in certain criminal or juvenile cases or a victim's representative to receive, pursuant to section 2930.06 of the Revised Code, notice of the date, time, and place of the trial or delinquency proceeding in the case or, if there will not be a trial or delinquency proceeding, information from the prosecutor, as defined in section 2930.01 of the Revised Code, regarding the disposition of the case;
(5) The right of the victim in certain criminal or juvenile cases or a victim's representative to receive, pursuant to section 2930.04, 2930.05, or 2930.06 of the Revised Code, notice of the name of the person charged with the violation, the case or docket number assigned to the charge, and a telephone number or numbers that can be called to obtain information about the disposition of the case;
(6) The right of the victim in certain criminal or juvenile cases or of the victim's representative pursuant to section 2930.13 or 2930.14 of the Revised Code, subject to any reasonable terms set by the court as authorized under section 2930.14 of the Revised Code, to make a statement about the victimization and, if applicable, a statement relative to the sentencing or disposition of the offender;
(7) The opportunity to obtain a court order, pursuant to section 2945.04 of the Revised Code, to prevent or stop the commission of the offense of intimidation of a crime victim or witness or an offense against the person or property of the complainant, or of the complainant's ward or child;
(8) The right of the victim in certain criminal or juvenile cases or a victim's representative pursuant to sections 2151.38, 2929.20, 2930.10, 2930.16, and 2930.17 of the Revised Code to receive notice of a pending motion for judicial release, release pursuant to section 2967.19 of the Revised Code, or other early release of the person who committed the offense against the victim, to make an oral or written statement at the court hearing on the motion, and to be notified of the court's decision on the motion;
(9) The right of the victim in certain criminal or juvenile cases or a victim's representative pursuant to section 2930.16, 2967.12, 2967.26, 2967.271, or 5139.56 of the Revised Code to receive notice of any pending commutation, pardon, parole, transitional control, discharge, other form of authorized release, post-release control, or supervised release for the person who committed the offense against the victim or any application for release of that person and to send a written statement relative to the victimization and the pending action to the adult parole authority or the release authority of the department of youth services;
(10) The right of the victim to bring a civil action pursuant to sections 2969.01 to 2969.06 of the Revised Code to obtain money from the offender's profit fund;
(11) The right, pursuant to section 3109.09 of the Revised Code, to maintain a civil action to recover compensatory damages not exceeding ten thousand dollars and costs from the parent of a minor who willfully damages property through the commission of an act that would be a theft offense, as defined in section 2913.01 of the Revised Code, if committed by an adult;
(12) The right, pursuant to section 3109.10 of the Revised Code, to maintain a civil action to recover compensatory damages not exceeding ten thousand dollars and costs from the parent of a minor who willfully and maliciously assaults a person;
(13) The possibility of receiving restitution from an offender or a delinquent child pursuant to section 2152.20, 2929.18, or 2929.28 of the Revised Code;
(14) The right of the victim in certain criminal or juvenile cases or a victim's representative, pursuant to section 2930.16 of the Revised Code, to receive notice of the escape from confinement or custody of the person who committed the offense, to receive that notice from the custodial agency of the person at the victim's last address or telephone number provided to the custodial agency, and to receive notice that, if either the victim's address or telephone number changes, it is in the victim's interest to provide the new address or telephone number to the custodial agency;
(15) The right of a victim of domestic violence, including domestic violence in a dating relationship as defined in section 3113.31 of the Revised Code, to seek the issuance of a civil protection order pursuant to that section, the right of a victim of a violation of section 2903.14, 2909.06, 2909.07, 2911.12, 2911.211, or 2919.22 of the Revised Code, a violation of a substantially similar municipal ordinance, or an offense of violence who is a family or household member of the offender at the time of the offense to seek the issuance of a temporary protection order pursuant to section 2919.26 of the Revised Code, and the right of both types of victims to be accompanied by a victim advocate during court proceedings;
(16) The right of a victim of a sexually oriented offense or of a child-victim oriented offense that is committed by a person who is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing the offense and who is in a category specified in division (B) of section 2950.10 of the Revised Code to receive, pursuant to that section, notice that the person has registered with a sheriff under section 2950.04, 2950.041, or 2950.05 of the Revised Code and notice of the person's name, the person's residence that is registered, and the offender's school, institution of higher education, or place of employment address or addresses that are registered, the person's photograph, and a summary of the manner in which the victim must make a request to receive the notice. As used in this division, "sexually oriented offense" and "child-victim oriented offense" have the same meanings as in section 2950.01 of the Revised Code.
(17) The right of a victim of certain sexually violent offenses committed by an offender who also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexually violent predator specification and who is sentenced to a prison term pursuant to division (A)(3) of section 2971.03 of the Revised Code, of a victim of a violation of division (A)(1)(b) of section 2907.02 of the Revised Code committed on or after January 2, 2007, by an offender who is sentenced for the violation pursuant to division (B)(1)(a), (b), or (c) of section 2971.03 of the Revised Code, of a victim of an attempted rape committed on or after January 2, 2007, by an offender who also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a specification of the type described in section 2941.1418, 2941.1419, or 2941.1420 of the Revised Code and is sentenced for the violation pursuant to division (B)(2)(a), (b), or (c) of section 2971.03 of the Revised Code, and of a victim of an offense that is described in division (B)(3)(a), (b), (c), or (d) of section 2971.03 of the Revised Code and is committed by an offender who is sentenced pursuant to one of those divisions to receive, pursuant to section 2930.16 of the Revised Code, notice of a hearing to determine whether to modify the requirement that the offender serve the entire prison term in a state correctional facility, whether to continue, revise, or revoke any existing modification of that requirement, or whether to terminate the prison term. As used in this division, "sexually violent offense" and "sexually violent predator specification" have the same meanings as in section 2971.01 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1)(a) Subject to division (B)(1)(c) of this section, a prosecuting attorney, assistant prosecuting attorney, city director of law, assistant city director of law, village solicitor, assistant village solicitor, or similar chief legal officer of a municipal corporation or an assistant of any of those officers who prosecutes an offense committed in this state, upon first contact with the victim of the offense, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents, shall give the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents a copy of the pamphlet prepared pursuant to division (A) of this section and explain, upon request, the information in the pamphlet to the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents.
(b) Subject to division (B)(1)(c) of this section, a law enforcement agency that investigates an offense or delinquent act committed in this state shall give the victim of the offense or delinquent act, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents a copy of the pamphlet prepared pursuant to division (A) of this section at one of the following times:
(i) Upon first contact with the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents;
(ii) If the offense or delinquent act is an offense of violence, if the circumstances of the offense or delinquent act and the condition of the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents indicate that the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents will not be able to understand the significance of the pamphlet upon first contact with the agency, and if the agency anticipates that it will have an additional contact with the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents, upon the agency's second contact with the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents.
If the agency does not give the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents a copy of the pamphlet upon first contact with them and does not have a second contact with the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents, the agency shall mail a copy of the pamphlet to the victim, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents at their last known address.
(c) In complying on and after December 9, 1994, with the duties imposed by division (B)(1)(a) or (b) of this section, an official or a law enforcement agency shall use copies of the pamphlet that are in the official's or agency's possession on December 9, 1994, until the official or agency has distributed all of those copies. After the official or agency has distributed all of those copies, the official or agency shall use only copies of the pamphlet that contain at least the information described in divisions (A)(1) to (17) of this section.
(2) The failure of a law enforcement agency or of a prosecuting attorney, assistant prosecuting attorney, city director of law, assistant city director of law, village solicitor, assistant village solicitor, or similar chief legal officer of a municipal corporation or an assistant to any of those officers to give, as required by division (B)(1) of this section, the victim of an offense or delinquent act, the victim's family, or the victim's dependents a copy of the pamphlet prepared pursuant to division (A) of this section does not give the victim, the victim's family, the victim's dependents, or a victim's representative any rights under section 2743.51 to 2743.72, 2945.04, 2967.12, 2969.01 to 2969.06, 3109.09, or 3109.10 of the Revised Code or under any other provision of the Revised Code and does not affect any right under those sections.
(3) A law enforcement agency, a prosecuting attorney or assistant prosecuting attorney, or a city director of law, assistant city director of law, village solicitor, assistant village solicitor, or similar chief legal officer of a municipal corporation that distributes a copy of the pamphlet prepared pursuant to division (A) of this section shall not be required to distribute a copy of an information card or other printed material provided by the clerk of the court of claims pursuant to section 2743.71 of the Revised Code.
(C) The cost of printing and distributing the pamphlet prepared pursuant to division (A) of this section shall be paid out of the reparations fund, created pursuant to section 2743.191 of the Revised Code, in accordance with division (D) of that section.
(D) As used in this section:
(1) "Victim's representative" has the same meaning as in section 2930.01 of the Revised Code;
(2) "Victim advocate" has the same meaning as in section 2919.26 of the Revised Code.
The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.
Last updated August 6, 2021 at 11:28 AM

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