Proposed changes to court rules in Ohio are open for public comment until October 24, 2025 . The main initiative is a multipart effort to reorganize the rules by moving those concerning court practices and procedures from the Rules of Superintendence to the appropriate Rules of Practice and Procedure (Civil, Criminal, and Juvenile). This restructuring aims to create a more logical organization for the rules. Also under consideration are other amendments for the Rules of Appellate Procedure to enhance clarity and accommodate electronic filing, and for the Traffic Rules to comply with new legislation. These recommendations were presented by the relevant commissions and approved by the Supreme Court of Ohio for public review. Comments on the proposed Superintendence Rule amendments should be sent to:      Keely McWhorter       Supreme Court of Ohio       65 S. Front St.       Columbus, Ohio 43215   ...

  President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, August 26 designed to cut federal funds from jurisdictions that have adopted cashless bail policies. The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to compile a list of such jurisdictions within 30 days, with the goal of identifying which federal funds can be terminated. While supporters of cashless bail contend it creates a more equitable justice system by not penalizing poverty, opponents, including the Trump administration, argue that it jeopardizes public safety. The impact of these policies on crime is debated, with some studies finding that bail reform has had no statistical impact on crime rates.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer withdrew from the race to challenge Justice Jennifer Brunner. His decision followed a vote by a state GOP screening panel that recommended endorsing a different candidate. Fischer, who is 67, would have been able to stay on the court for an extra four years if he had won the 2026 election, as he faces mandatory retirement when his current term expires in 2028. Under the Ohio constitution, individuals 70 or older are ineligible to run for a judicial office. Fischer stated that he had promised to withdraw his candidacy if he failed to get the committee's recommendation .

CourtListener has launched a new feature that provides searchable transcripts for its extensive archive of oral arguments. Powered by a partnership with OpenAI , this update allows users to search for specific terms within the recordings, set up alerts for keywords, and follow along with the audio line by line. The new tool significantly enhances accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. By making these recordings searchable, CourtListener aims to help lawyers, journalists, and the public dive deeper into the legal process with greater speed and ease. The audio is collected hourly from the Supreme Court and Federal Circuit Courts, with plans to expand coverage further. Learn more about the program at the Free Law Project .

Ohio’s newly enacted House Bill 96 requires local governments to establish a formal cybersecurity program. These programs must follow recognized best practices, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) or CIS standards. They must include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response procedures, employee training, and plans to repair and maintain security infrastructure. Although the bill no longer includes funding provisions, state-supported resources like the Ohio Cyber Integration Center (OCIC), the Ohio Persistent Cyber Initiative (O-PCI), and the Ohio Cyber Reserves are available to assist with compliance. The law also mandates annual training, restricts ransomware payments without formal approval, and requires incident reporting to state officials within set timeframes. Read more about this legislation and the new requirement at Cleveland.com .

  The Internet Archive , which is home to the Wayback Machine , is now part of the Federal Depository Library Program . This designation was made in a letter from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (of California) to the current Superintendent of Documents for the U.S. GPO. Traditionally, over 1,100 libraries that have been part of this program have maintained print collections of government documents, but the Internet Archive is a solely digital repository of content. KQED News quoted Senator Padilla: “The Archive’s digital-first approach makes it the perfect fit for a modern federal depository library, expanding access to federal government publications amid an increasingly digital landscape.... The Internet Archive has broken down countless barriers to accessing information, and it is my honor to provide this designation to help further their mission of providing ‘Universal Access to All Knowledge.’”

Judge Mary J. Boyle of the Eighth District Court of Appeals recently sat for oral arguments at the Ohio Supreme Court to hear the case captioned Ohio Power Company v. Nationwide Energy Partners LLC , Case No. 2024-0207. Court News Ohio reported that Judge Boyle was very honored: “It’s an honor to be assigned to sit at the Supreme Court. I take it with its awesome responsibility that comes with sitting as a jurist.” Judge Boyle serves on the Cleveland Law Library Association's Board of Directors .