Chapter 2506 | Appeals From Orders Of Administrative Officers And Agencies

Section 2506.01 | Appeal from decisions of agency of political subdivisions.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

(A) Except as otherwise provided in sections 2506.05 to 2506.08 of the Revised Code, and except as modified by this section and sections 2506.02 to 2506.04 of the Revised Code, every final order, adjudication, or decision of any officer, tribunal, authority, board, bureau, commission, department, or other division of any political subdivision of the state may be reviewed by the court of common pleas of the county in which the principal office of the political subdivision is located as provided in Chapter 2505. of the Revised Code.

(B) The appeal provided in this section is in addition to any other remedy of appeal provided by law.

(C) As used in this chapter, "final order, adjudication, or decision" means an order, adjudication, or decision that determines rights, duties, privileges, benefits, or legal relationships of a person, but does not include any order, adjudication, or decision from which an appeal is granted by rule, ordinance, or statute to a higher administrative authority if a right to a hearing on such appeal is provided, or any order, adjudication, or decision that is issued preliminary to or as a result of a criminal proceeding.

Section 2506.02 | Notice of appeal - filing transcript.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

Within forty days after filing a notice of appeal in relation to a final order, adjudication, or decision covered by division (A) of section 2506.01 of the Revised Code, the officer or body from which the appeal is taken, upon the filing of a praecipe by the appellant, shall prepare and file in the court to which the appeal is taken, a complete transcript of all the original papers, testimony, and evidence offered, heard, and taken into consideration in issuing the final order, adjudication, or decision. The costs of the transcript shall be taxed as a part of the costs of the appeal.

Section 2506.03 | Hearing.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

(A) The hearing of an appeal taken in relation to a final order, adjudication, or decision covered by division (A) of section 2506.01 of the Revised Code shall proceed as in the trial of a civil action, but the court shall be confined to the transcript filed under section 2506.02 of the Revised Code unless it appears, on the face of that transcript or by affidavit filed by the appellant, that one of the following applies:

(1) The transcript does not contain a report of all evidence admitted or proffered by the appellant.

(2) The appellant was not permitted to appear and be heard in person, or by the appellant's attorney, in opposition to the final order, adjudication, or decision, and to do any of the following:

(a) Present the appellant's position, arguments, and contentions;

(b) Offer and examine witnesses and present evidence in support;

(c) Cross-examine witnesses purporting to refute the appellant's position, arguments, and contentions;

(d) Offer evidence to refute evidence and testimony offered in opposition to the appellant's position, arguments, and contentions;

(e) Proffer any such evidence into the record, if the admission of it is denied by the officer or body appealed from.

(3) The testimony adduced was not given under oath.

(4) The appellant was unable to present evidence by reason of a lack of the power of subpoena by the officer or body appealed from, or the refusal, after request, of that officer or body to afford the appellant opportunity to use the power of subpoena when possessed by the officer or body.

(5) The officer or body failed to file with the transcript conclusions of fact supporting the final order, adjudication, or decision.

(B) If any circumstance described in divisions (A)(1) to (5) of this section applies, the court shall hear the appeal upon the transcript and additional evidence as may be introduced by any party. At the hearing, any party may call, as if on cross-examination, any witness who previously gave testimony in opposition to that party.

Section 2506.04 | Order, adjudication, or decision of court.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

If an appeal is taken in relation to a final order, adjudication, or decision covered by division (A) of section 2506.01 of the Revised Code, the court may find that the order, adjudication, or decision is unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, or unsupported by the preponderance of substantial, reliable, and probative evidence on the whole record. Consistent with its findings, the court may affirm, reverse, vacate, or modify the order, adjudication, or decision, or remand the cause to the officer or body appealed from with instructions to enter an order, adjudication, or decision consistent with the findings or opinion of the court. The judgment of the court may be appealed by any party on questions of law as provided in the Rules of Appellate Procedure and, to the extent not in conflict with those rules, Chapter 2505. of the Revised Code.

Section 2506.05 | Expedited appeal of final order regarding adult entertainment establishments.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

(A)(1) Except as modified by this section and sections 2506.06 to 2506.08 of the Revised Code, every final order, adjudication, or decision of any officer, tribunal, authority, board, bureau, commission, department, or other division of any political subdivision of the state denying an application for, or suspending or revoking, a license or permit to locate or operate an adult entertainment establishment, as defined in section 2907.39 of the Revised Code or as similarly defined by a political subdivision, may be reviewed by the court of common pleas of the county in which the principal office of the political subdivision is located as provided in Chapter 2505. of the Revised Code.

(2) In addition to appeals brought pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section, a court of common pleas may hear appeals under this section and sections 2506.06 to 2506.08 of the Revised Code in cases in which the court determines that there is a threat of restraint of expression protected or presumptively protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or under Section 11 of Article I, Ohio Constitution.

(B) An appellant seeking to have an appeal heard under this section shall designate it as an expedited appeal by inserting the words "Expedited Appeal Requested" in conspicuous typeface in the caption of the notice of appeal.

(C) In an appeal under this section, if the political subdivision does not object to the expedited appeal within three days after receiving notice of the filing of the notice of appeal or if, over the objection of the political subdivision, the court determines that there is a threat of restraint of expression protected or presumptively protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or under Section 11 of Article I of the Ohio Constitution, the court shall conduct a hearing as promptly as is practicable and render a decision in a prompt and expeditious manner consistent with the United States Constitution and the Ohio Constitution. If the court denies the request for an expedited appeal, the appeal shall be heard in accordance with sections 2506.01 to 2506.04 of the Revised Code.

(D) The appeal provided in this section is in addition to any other remedy of appeal provided by law.

Section 2506.06 | Transcript to be filed following notice of appeal.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

Within five days after receiving notice of the filing of a notice of appeal under section 2506.05 of the Revised Code, the officer or body from which the appeal is taken, upon the filing of a praecipe by the appellant, shall prepare and file in the court to which the appeal is taken, a complete transcript of all the original papers, testimony, and evidence offered, heard, and taken into consideration in issuing the final order, adjudication, or decision appealed from. The costs of the transcript shall be taxed as a part of the costs of the appeal.

Section 2506.07 | Hearing confined to transcript - exceptions.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

(A) The hearing of an appeal taken under section 2506.05 of the Revised Code shall proceed as in the trial of a civil action, but the court shall be confined to the transcript as filed under section 2506.06 of the Revised Code unless it appears on the face of that transcript or by affidavit filed by the appellant that one or more of the following applies:

(1) The transcript does not contain a report of all evidence admitted or proffered by the appellant.

(2) The appellant was not permitted to appear and be heard in person, or by the appellant's attorney, in opposition to the final order, adjudication, or decision appealed from and to do any of the following:

(a) Present the appellant's position, arguments, and contentions;

(b) Offer and examine witnesses and present evidence in support;

(c) Cross-examine witnesses purporting to refute the appellant's position, arguments, and contentions;

(d) Offer evidence to refute evidence and testimony offered in opposition to the appellant's position, arguments, and contentions;

(e) Proffer any evidence offered pursuant to division (A)(2)(d) of this section into the record if the admission of it is denied by the officer or body appealed from.

(3) The testimony adduced was not given under oath.

(4) The appellant was unable to present evidence because of a lack of the power of subpoena by the officer or body appealed from or because of the refusal after request of that officer or body to afford the appellant opportunity to use the power of subpoena when possessed by the officer or body.

(5) The officer or body failed to file with the transcript conclusions of fact supporting the final order, adjudication, or decision appealed from.

(B) If any circumstance described in divisions (A)(1) to (5) of this section applies, the court shall hear the appeal upon the transcript and additional evidence as may be introduced by any party. At the hearing, any party may call, as if on cross-examination, any witness who previously gave testimony in opposition to that party.

Section 2506.08 | Findings and order of court on appeal.

• Effective: August 17, 2006
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 23 - 126th General Assembly

If an appeal is taken under section 2506.05 of the Revised Code, the court may find that the order, adjudication, or decision is unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, or unsupported by the preponderance of substantial, reliable, and probative evidence on the whole record. Consistent with its findings, the court may affirm, reverse, vacate, or modify the order, adjudication, or decision, or remand the cause to the officer or body appealed from with instructions to enter an order, adjudication, or decision consistent with the findings or opinion of the court. If the order, adjudication, or decision is remanded to the officer or body appealed from with those instructions, the officer or body shall enter the consistent order, adjudication, or decision within five days after that remand. The judgment of the court may be appealed by any party on questions of law as provided in the Rules of Appellate Procedure and, to the extent not in conflict with those rules, Chapter 2505. of the Revised Code.