OHIO APPELLATE INSIGHTS /stats

In our last feature on Ohio Supreme Court statistics, we put numbers behind the question, “How long will it take for the Ohio Supreme Court to decide on a discretionary appeal, or jurisdictional?” If you have not had the opportunity to read that post, we were surprised to learn criminal cases were being decided faster.

We have found it is one thing to put numbers to how long it takes to get a decision. However, it is yet another – but just as interesting – thing to put numbers to the actual acceptance rates.

The data behind jurisdictional case acceptance

graphic showing ohio supreme court jurisdictional acceptance statsSince Sept. 28, 2021, there have been 430 jurisdictional decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court. These jurisdictionals break down into 62.6% criminal (269 cases) and 37.4% civil (161 cases).

Of those 430 discretionary appeals, 9.53% (41 cases) have been accepted. And, of those jurisdictionals accepted, 29.3% are civil and 70.7% are criminal.

Of all civil jurisdictionals filed, only 6.73% were accepted, whereas 10.82% of all criminal jurisdictionals filed were accepted.

So what does the data tell us? It shows us that not only are civil jurisdictionals disposed of more quickly, they also are accepted less frequently than criminal jurisdictionals. This is despite criminal appeals being a larger portion of the docket.

Our journey behind the numbers

Porter Wright’s Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group consults with clients and firms to evaluate all aspects of appellate litigation, from assessing prospects for success on appeal to developing engaging arguments to formulating settlement strategies when appropriate. Identifying Supreme Court trends, such as acceptance rates, helps us to facilitate effective decision-making for our clients. It also helps to demystify the appellate process for all parties involved.