Ohio App. R. 5

As amended through October 29, 2024

Rule 5 - Appeals by Leave of Court in Criminal Cases

(A) Motion by defendant for delayed appeal.

(1) After the expiration of the thirty day period provided by App. R. 4(A) for the filing of a notice of appeal as of right, an appeal may be taken by a defendant with leave of the court to which the appeal is taken in the following classes of cases:

(a) Criminal proceedings;

(b) Delinquency proceedings; and

(c) Serious youthful offender proceedings.

(2) A motion for leave to appeal shall be filed with the court of appeals and shall set forth the reasons for the failure of the appellant to perfect an appeal as of right. Concurrently with the filing of the motion, the movant shall file with the clerk of the trial court a notice of appeal in the form prescribed by App. R. 3 and shall file a copy of the notice of the appeal in the court of appeals. The movant also shall furnish an additional copy of the notice of appeal and a copy of the motion for leave to appeal to the clerk of the court of appeals who shall serve the notice of appeal and the motions upon the prosecuting attorney.

(B) Motion to reopen appellate proceedings. If a federal court grants a conditional writ of habeas corpus upon a claim that a defendant's constitutional rights were violated during state appellate proceedings terminated by a final judgment, a motion filed by the defendant or on behalf of the state to reopen the appellate proceedings may be granted by leave of the court of appeals that entered the judgment. The motion shall be filed with the clerk of the court of appeals within forty-five days after the conditional writ is granted. A certified copy of the conditional writ and any supporting opinion shall be filed with the motion. The clerk shall serve a copy of a defendant's motion on the prosecuting attorney.

(C) Motion by prosecution for leave to appeal. When leave is sought by the prosecution from the court of appeals to appeal an order of the trial court, a motion for leave to appeal shall be filed with the court of appeals within thirty days from the entry of the order sought to be appealed (or, if that order is not a final order, within thirty days of the final order into which it merges) and shall set forth the errors that the movant claims occurred in the proceedings of the trial court. The motion shall be accompanied by affidavits, or by the parts of the record upon which the movant relies, to show the probability that the errors claimed did in fact occur, and by a brief or memorandum of law in support of the movant's claims. Concurrently with the filing of the motion, the movant shall file with the clerk of the trial court a notice of appeal in the form prescribed by App. R. 3 and file a copy of the notice of appeal in the court of appeals. The movant also shall furnish a copy of the motion and a copy of the notice of appeal to the clerk of the court of appeals who shall serve the notice of appeal and a copy of the motion for leave to appeal upon the attorney for the defendant who, within thirty days from the filing of the motion, may file affidavits, parts of the record, and brief or memorandum of law to refute the claims of the movant.

(D)

(1) Motion by defendant for leave to appeal consecutive sentences pursuant to R.C. 2953.08(C). When leave is sought from the court of appeals for leave to appeal consecutive sentences pursuant to R.C. 2953.08(C), a motion for leave to appeal shall be filed with the court of appeals within thirty days from the entry of the order sought to be appealed and shall set forth the reason why the consecutive sentences exceed the maximum prison term allowed. The motion shall be accompanied by a copy of the order stating the sentences imposed and stating the offense of which movant was found guilty or to which movant pled guilty. Concurrently with the filing of the motion, the movant shall file with the clerk of the trial court a notice of appeal in the form prescribed by App.R. 3 and file a copy of the notice of appeal in the court of appeals. The movant also shall furnish a copy of the notice of appeal and a copy of the motion to the clerk of the court of appeals who shall serve the notice of appeal and the motion upon the prosecuting attorney.

(2) Leave to appeal consecutive sentences incorporated into appeal as of right. When a criminal defendant has filed a notice of appeal pursuant to App. R. 4, the defendant may elect to incorporate in defendant's initial appellate brief an assignment of error pursuant to R.C. 2953.08(C), and this assignment of error shall be deemed to constitute a timely motion for leave to appeal pursuant to R.C. 2953.08(C).

(E) Determination of the motion. Except when required by the court the motion shall be determined by the court of appeals on the documents filed without formal hearing or oral argument.

(F) Order and procedure following determination. Upon determination of the motion, the court shall journalize its order and the order shall be filed with the clerk of the court of appeals, who shall certify a copy of the order and mail or otherwise forward the copy to the clerk of the trial court. If the motion for leave to appeal is overruled, except as to motions for leave to appeal filed by the prosecution, the clerk of the trial court shall collect the costs pertaining to the motion, in both the court of appeals and the trial court, from the movant. If the motion is sustained and leave to appeal is granted, the further procedure shall be the same as for appeals as of right in criminal cases, except as otherwise specifically provided in these rules.

Ohio. App. R. 5

Effective:7/1/1971; amended effective 7/1/1988;7/1/1992;7/1/1994;7/1/1996;7/1/2003; amended April 24, 2019, effective 7/1/2019.

Proposed Staff Notes (July 1, 2019 Amendment)

The amendment to App.R. 5(C) regarding the prosecution's motion for leave to appeal an order that was not final when it was made, but subsequently merged into a final order, is intended to address only the required timing of such a motion. The amendment does not affect the threshold determination of whether an order is, in fact, a final order, which is determined with reference to the relevant Ohio statutes.

The additional amendments to App.R. 5(C) and 5(D)(1) remove references to a "judgment or order" and a "judgment and order," instead referring solely to an "order." These amendments bring the rules into conformity with the language of App.R. 4(A), which was similarly amended in 2014. As noted in the July 1, 2014 Staff Note to App.R. 4, these changes are not substantive.

Staff Note (July 1, 2003 Amendment)

Rule 5 Appeals by Leave of Court

The title of this rule was changed from Appeals by Leave of Court in Criminal Cases to Appeals by Leave of Court as a consequence of the amendment to division (A) described below.

Rule 5(A) Motion by defendant for delayed appeal.

The amendment to division (A) effective July 1, 2003, was in response to the Supreme Court's decision in In re Anderson (2001), 92 Ohio St. 3d 63, which held that adjudications of delinquency are not judgments to which App. R. 5(A) applies. The amendment made App. R. 5(A) apply to delinquency and serious youthful offender proceedings.

Rule 5(B) Motion to reopen appellate proceedings.

The addition of a new division (B) was to address state appellate proceedings following a federal court's granting of a conditional writ of habeas corpus that allows the prisoner to be freed if the state appellate court does not reopen appellate proceedings to address constitutional issues in the case. As a result of the addition of this new division (B), divisions (B) - (E) of the previous rule were relettered (C) - (F) respectively.