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Prosecutors ask Ohio lawmakers to exempt grand-juror names from public records after state high-court ruling
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Summary
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pilich urged lawmakers to pass HB565 to protect grand-jury secrecy and juror safety after a recent Ohio Supreme Court decision held grand-juror names are public records; she warned disclosure could intimidate jurors and compromise investigations.
Connie Pilich, Hamilton County prosecutor, told the House Judiciary Committee that House Bill 565 would correct what prosecutors view as an unintended consequence of a recent Ohio Supreme Court decision (State ex rel. Colgan v. Jefferson County Clerk of Courts) that made grand-juror names subject to public-records disclosure. Pilich argued that grand-jury secrecy protects deliberations in serious felony prosecutions — including gang and homicide cases — and that disclosure of juror names could lead to pressure, harassment, or threats against jurors.
Pilich described the importance of grand juries to felony prosecutions and said exempting juror names from public records would preserve the integrity of the process and juror safety. She urged committee members to move HB565 to correct the ‘‘error’’ and protect grand jurors from intimidation at a time when violent-crime caseloads in some counties have increased.
There were no questions recorded that challenged Pilich’s factual claims; the committee accepted the testimony and moved on to subsequent agenda items.
