Posted June 5, 202410:17 pm
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Legal Help, a statewide, mobile-first website with free civil legal information and resources, announced a new online tool that enables stalking victims and survivors to more safely and easily access and complete the legal forms they need to obtain a civil protection order.
The stalking and sexually oriented offense protection order tool on OhioLegalHelp.org was developed in partnership with the Supreme Court of Ohio through a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant. VAWA seeks to improve criminal legal and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the United States.
Knowing that better access to information and court forms can empower individuals to take action, Ohio Legal Help began development of the new tool in 2023 and worked with experts from around the state, including the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and the Montgomery and Hamilton County Courts of Common Pleas.
The new tool allows users to easily retrieve and fill out the forms online, starting and stopping as they need to, and saving the information as they go. The site is accessible in English and Spanish by mobile phone, tablet, or computer 24/7; and has information on the different types of civil protection orders, online stalking, and gathering evidence from your phone.
“In 1995, Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer established a Domestic Violence Task Force that recommended standardized forms, ensuring consistent recognition by law enforcement across the state,” said Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy. “Today, the new self-guided-interview form extends this legacy with the goal of continually improving Ohioans' access to justice. We are deeply grateful to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence for their invaluable efforts in making these forms more intuitive and user-friendly.”
This expansion comes after Ohio Legal Help developed a domestic and dating violence civil protection order tool in 2021 in partnership with the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, and the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Over 50,000 Ohioans use this information and tool annually.
According to a report from the Office of Criminal Justice Services and the Ohio Department of Public Safety, between 2016 and 2022, the stalking victimization rate increased by 31.7 percent in Ohio. Women account for 80.6 percent of stalking victims, with most victims of stalking falling between 26-35 years of age (31.1 percent).
“People who need legal assistance are always at the forefront of our minds,” said Ohio Legal Help Executive Director Susan Choe. “Thanks to the support of the Supreme Court of Ohio, we can provide specific tools for those needing help during a difficult and potentially dangerous time.”
Source: Ohio Legal Help- Stalking CPO_Ohio Legal Help_Press Release