2307.70 Civil action for damages for vandalism, desecration or ethnic intimidation. - Ohio Statutes

2307.70 Civil action for damages for vandalism, desecration or ethnic intimidation.

(A) Any person who suffers injury or loss to person or property as a result of an act committed in violation of section 2909.05, 2927.11, or 2927.12 of the Revised Code has a civil action against the offender and may recover in that action full compensatory damages, including, but not limited to, damages for emotional distress, and may recover punitive or exemplary damages, court costs, other reasonable expenses incurred in maintaining that action, and the reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in maintaining that action.

(B)(1) Any person who suffers injury or loss to person or property as a result of an act committed in violation of section 2909.05, 2927.11, or 2927.12 of the Revised Code by a minor child has a civil action against the parent of the minor child and may recover in that action compensatory damages not to exceed fifteen thousand dollars, court costs, other reasonable expenses incurred in maintaining that action, and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in maintaining that action. A parent and the parent’s minor child are jointly and severally liable as specified in this division for the injury or loss to person or property caused by the minor child’s act committed in violation of section 2909.05, 2927.11, or 2927.12 of the Revised Code. If a person recovers compensatory damages from a parent of a minor child pursuant to this division, that recovery does not preclude the person from maintaining a civil action against the minor child pursuant to division (A) of this section.

(2) As used in division (B) of this section:

(a) “Minor child” means a person who is under eighteen years of age and who is not married at the time of the commission of an act in violation of section 2909.05, 2927.11, or 2927.12 of the Revised Code that gives rise to a civil action under division (B) of this section.

(b) “Parent” has the same meaning as in section 3109.09 of the Revised Code.

(C) The monetary limitation upon compensatory damages set forth in section 3109.09 or 3109.10 of the Revised Code does not apply to a civil action brought pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section.

(D) A civil action may be maintained under division (A) or (B) of this section whether or not the person who committed an act in violation of section 2909.05, 2927.11, or 2927.12 of the Revised Code has been charged by an indictment, information, or complaint with a violation of any of those sections, has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of any of those sections, has been charged by a complaint with being a delinquent child for committing an act that is a violation of any of those sections, or has been adjudicated a delinquent child for having committed an act of that nature.

(E) No record of conviction, unless obtained by confession in open court, or delinquent child adjudication shall be used as evidence in a civil action brought pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section.

Effective Date: 09-20-1999