2020 Ohio Revised Code
Title 29 | Crimes-Procedure
Chapter 2953 | Appeals; Other Postconviction Remedies
Section 2953.59 | Dissemination of Confidential Information From Sealed Records by Law Enforcement Officers or Agencies.
Effective: July 6, 2010
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 77 - 128th General Assembly
(A) Except as otherwise provided in Chapter 2950. of the Revised Code, upon the issuance of an order by a court under section 2953.57 of the Revised Code directing that all official records pertaining to a case be sealed and that the proceedings in the case be deemed not to have occurred:
(1) Every law enforcement officer possessing records or reports pertaining to the case that are the officer's specific investigatory work product and that are excepted from the definition of "official records" contained in section 2953.51 of the Revised Code shall immediately deliver the records and reports to the officer's employing law enforcement agency. Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, no such officer shall knowingly release, disseminate, or otherwise make the records and reports or any information contained in them available to, or discuss any information contained in them with, any person not employed by the officer's employing law enforcement agency.
(2) Every law enforcement agency that possesses records or reports pertaining to the case that are its specific investigatory work product and that are excepted from the definition of "official records" contained in section 2953.51 of the Revised Code, or that are the specific investigatory work product of a law enforcement officer it employs and that were delivered to it under division (A)(1) of this section shall, except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, close the records and reports to all persons who are not directly employed by the law enforcement agency and shall, except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, treat the records and reports, in relation to all persons other than those who are directly employed by the law enforcement agency, as if they did not exist and had never existed. Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, no person who is employed by the law enforcement agency shall knowingly release, disseminate, or otherwise make the records and reports in the possession of the employing law enforcement agency or any information contained in them available to, or discuss any information contained in them with, any person not employed by the employing law enforcement agency.
(3) A law enforcement agency that possesses records or reports pertaining to the case that are its specific investigatory work product and that are excepted from the definition of "official records" contained in division (D) of section 2953.51 of the Revised Code, or that are the specific investigatory work product of a law enforcement officer it employs and that were delivered to it under division (A)(1) of this section may permit another law enforcement agency to use the records or reports in the investigation of another offense, if the facts incident to the offense being investigated by the other law enforcement agency and the facts incident to an offense that is the subject of the case are reasonably similar and if all references to the name or identifying information of the person whose records were sealed are redacted from the records or reports. The agency that provides the records and reports may not provide the other agency with the name of the person who is the subject of the case the records of which were sealed.
(B) Whoever violates division (A)(1), (2), or (3) of this section is guilty of divulging confidential information, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
