The National Center for State Courts released its 2020 Trends in State Courts this month. One article highlights access to justice via ODR in Ohio. The article “Access Empowers: How ODR Increased Participation and Positive Outcomes in Ohio” (PDF) covers the experience of Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus.
The Franklin County Municipal Court (FCMC) in Columbus, Ohio and Court Innovations Inc. developed the first court-connected, small-claims online-dispute resolution (ODR) platform in the United States in 2016. Since launch, the ODR platform has enhanced efficiency and fairness and improved case outcomes by empowering court users across income and race demographics to participate in the small-claims process and voluntarily resolve cases through negotiation and mediation. After more than three years of implementation and data collection, the FCMC ODR platform demonstrates how courts can bridge both the access-to-justice and social-justice gaps by combining alternative dispute
Alex Sanchez, Franklin County Municipal Court, Ohio and
resolution with online technology.
Paul Embley, Technology Director, National Center for State Courts
The court sought to increase access to justice for all and to decrease the number of default judgments in small claims cases. The article details the program’s launch and its outcomes.
Outcomes include a reduction in default judgments by 10% and an increase in dismissals. Another outcome is positive feedback on procedural and and substantive fairness from participants. The article features some satisfaction survey responses, including this one:
It can be overwhelming and intimidating to go to the courtroom, online made the whole process so much less intimidating and more comfortable to come up with a resolution.
An ODR platform participant’s satisfaction survey response
Learn more about ODR in Ohio
- Read the full article (PDF)
- Video: Hear from Alex Sanchez and others at the Franklin County Municipal Court
- Resources Saved, Justice Served (1 hour webinar)
- Court-Connected Online Dispute Resolution (3 minute quick explainer)
- See the data behind the article at the Franklin County Municipal Court ODR and Mediation Data Project Site
- Learn more about Matterhorn Online Dispute Resolution for Small Claims