Just $25 to File, No Lawyer Required: Assessing an Alternative Public Record Complaint Procedure

Abstract

This article examines an Ohio law aimed at resolving public-record access disputes quickly and at low cost. The 2016 statute allows those denied a record to pay $25 and file a one-page form to start an expedited case in the state’s Court of Claims, saving time and attorney fees. While other states offer attorney general or ombuds help in records disputes, none has a process that initiates a court action this way. Using data from the nearly 900 cases, a survey, and interviews with stakeholders, the article assesses how well the process works and if other states should emulate it. Comparisons, as well, are made with systems in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.