Ohio Courts of Appeal generally will not publish the full names of certain victims or juveniles accused of crimes (although they inexplicably publish full birth dates even when unnecessary). This generally includes adult and child victims of sex crimes, victims who are minors, and juvenile offenders. The Courts have their reasons for protecting these identities and the Eighth District Court of Appeals states that they are following their own policies.
But these days it is not enough to have the Courts of Appeal use initials in their opinions to protect identities. Nowadays, many counties provide public access to all the documents filed in appeals. These include the Appellant's Merit Brief, Appellee's Answer Brief, and Appellant's Reply Brief. So if the Courts of Appeal are going to be successful at concealing the names of these special victims or juvenile offenders, they will need a little help from the litigants - starting with the Appellant.
The Courts of Appeal Judges - you know, the ones who will be deciding your client's case - are sensitive to this issue. A little responsible editing by Defendants/Appellants may go a long way in gaining the respect of the Court and focusing the Court on the real issues in the case.
If you are accused of a crime or have been convicted already, contact me if you can afford to hire a private attorney. Otherwise, contact your county or state public defender to see if they can help.
