Ohio Revised Code Search

...The public utilities commission may appoint a secretary, attorney examiners, experts, engineers, accountants, and such other officers as it considers necessary, who shall be in the classified civil service except for persons in attorney examiner or supervisory policy-making positions, who shall serve at the pleasure of the commission. The commission's discretion as to whether or not a position is an attorney examiner...

...In the employment of engineers, experts, or other assistants the public utilities commission may make use of engineers and experts employed in the Ohio state university in such manner as is provided by mutual arrangement between the commission and the trustees and faculty of such university. Any information, data, and equipment of such university shall be placed at the disposal of the commission.

...Each of the public utilities commissioners, for the purposes mentioned in Chapters 4901., 4903., 4905., 4907., 4909., 4921., 4923., and 4927. of the Revised Code, may administer oaths, certify to official acts, issue subpoenas, and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers, waybills, books, accounts, documents, and testimony.

...The public utilities commissioners and the attorney, secretary, other officers, and employees of the public utilities commission may, when in the performance of their official duties, pass free of charge on all railroads, cars, vessels, and other vehicles of every common carrier, subject to control or regulation by the commission, between points within this state, and such persons shall not be denied the right to tra...

...No public utilities commissioner, attorney to the public utilities commission, secretary to the commission, or person employed or appointed to office by the commission or by its attorney shall accept any gift, gratuity, emolument, or employment from any public utility or railroad or any officer, agent, or employee of a public utility or railroad or solicit, suggest, request, or recommend, directly or indirectly, to a...

...(A) Whoever violates section 4901.16 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars.

...As used in sections 4903.01 to 4903.25 of the Revised Code: (A) "Public utility" has the same meaning as in section 4905.02 of the Revised Code. (B) "Railroad" has the same meaning as in section 4907.02 of the Revised Code.

...The public utilities commission may, either through the public utilities commissioners or by inspectors or employees authorized by it, examine under oath, at any time and for assisting the commission in the performance of any powers or duties of the commission, any officer, agent, or employee of any public utility or railroad or any other person, in relation to the business and affairs of such public utility or railr...

...The public utilities commission may, through the public utilities commissioners or by inspectors or employees authorized by it, examine all books, contracts, records, documents, and papers of any public utility, and by subpoena duces tecum may compel the production thereof, or of verified copies of the same or any of them. The commission may compel the attendance of such witnesses as it requires to give evidence...

...If a person disobeys an order of the public utilities commission or a public utilities commissioner, or a subpoena, or if a witness refuses to testify to any matter regarding which he may be lawfully interrogated, the court of common pleas of a county or a judge of such court, on application of a commissioner, shall compel obedience by attachment proceedings for contempt, as in the case of disobedience of the require...

...Each witness who appears before the public utilities commission by its order shall receive the fees and mileage provided for under section 119.094 of the Revised Code, which shall be audited and paid by the state as other expenses are audited and paid, upon the presentation of proper vouchers sworn to by such witnesses and approved by the chairperson of the commission. No witness subpoenaed at the instance of...

...In an investigation, the public utilities commission or any party to the investigation may cause the depositions of witnesses residing within or without the state to be taken in the manner prescribed for depositions in civil actions in the court of common pleas.

...A transcribed copy of the evidence and proceedings on an investigation, or a specific part thereof, taken by a stenographer appointed by the public utilities commission, certified by such stenographer to be a true and correct transcript of such evidence and proceedings, and carefully compared by him with his original notes, shall be received in evidence as if such stenographer was present and testified to the facts a...

...No person shall be excused from testifying or from producing accounts, books, and papers, in any hearing before the public utilities commission any public utilities commissioner, or any person appointed by the commission to investigate any matter under its jurisdiction, on the ground or for the reason that the testimony or evidence might tend to incriminate him, or subject him to a penalty or forfeiture. No such per...

...After a case has been assigned a formal docket number neither a member of the public utilities commission nor any examiner associated with the case shall discuss the merits of the case with any party or intervenor to the proceeding, unless all parties and intervenors have been notified and given the opportunity of being present or a full disclosure of the communication insofar as it pertains to the subject matter...

...All parties and intervenors shall be granted ample rights of discovery. The present rules of the public utilities commission should be reviewed regularly by the commission to aid full and reasonable discovery by all parties. Without limiting the commission's discretion the Rules of Civil Procedure should be used wherever practicable.

...(A) For all cases involving applications for an increase in rates pursuant to section 4909.18 of the Revised Code the public utilities commission shall hold public hearings in each municipal corporation in the affected service area having a population in excess of one hundred thousand persons, provided that, at least one public hearing shall be held in each affected service area. At least one such hearing shall...

...In all contested cases heard by the public utilities commission, a complete record of all of the proceedings shall be made, including a transcript of all testimony and of all exhibits, and the commission shall file, with the records of such cases, findings of fact and written opinions setting forth the reasons prompting the decisions arrived at, based upon said findings of fact.

...After any order has been made by the public utilities commission, any party who has entered an appearance in person or by counsel in the proceeding may apply for a rehearing in respect to any matters determined in the proceeding. Such application shall be filed within thirty days after the entry of the order upon the journal of the commission. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in any uncontested proceeding o...

...No proceeding to reverse, vacate, or modify a final order of the public utilities commission is commenced unless the notice of appeal is filed within sixty days after the date of denial of the application for rehearing by operation of law or of the entry upon the journal of the commission of the order denying an application for rehearing or, if a rehearing is had, of the order made after such rehearing. An order deny...

...No court other than the supreme court shall have power to review, suspend, or delay any order made by the public utilities commission, or enjoin, restrain, or interfere with the commission or any public utilities commissioner in the performance of official duties. A writ of mandamus shall not be issued against the commission or any commissioner by any court other than the supreme court.

...A final order made by the public utilities commission shall be reversed, vacated, or modified by the supreme court on appeal, if, upon consideration of the record, such court is of the opinion that such order was unlawful or unreasonable. The proceeding to obtain such reversal, vacation, or modification shall be by notice of appeal, filed with the public utilities commission by any party to the proceeding before it,...

...Upon application, the public utilities commission shall furnish certified copies under its seal of any order made by it, which certified copies shall be prima-facie evidence in a court or proceeding of the facts stated therein.

...Unless a different time is specified therein or by law, every order made by the public utilities commission shall become effective immediately upon entry thereof upon the journal of the public utilities commission. Every order shall be served by United States mail in the manner prescribed by the commission. No utility or railroad shall be found in violation of any order of the commission until notice of said or...

...A proceeding to reverse, vacate, or modify a final order rendered by the public utilities commission does not stay execution of such order unless the supreme court or a judge thereof in vacation, on application and three days' notice to the commission, allows such stay, in which event the appellant shall execute an undertaking, payable to the state in such a sum as the supreme court prescribes, with surety to t...