County coroners could charge fees in civil suits

Special to The Vindicator

COLUMBUS — County coroners would be able to charge fees when their services are required as part of civil lawsuits, under legislation introduced at the Ohio Statehouse.

State Rep. Tom Letson, a Democrat from Warren, offered House Bill 192 after hearing from Trumbull County Coroner Humphrey Germaniuk about the time required to prepare testimony in civil cases.

“The county receives no money for this time,” Letson told the House Judiciary Committee this week. “He currently cannot charge an hourly rate to testify in a civil case when his opinion is subpoenaed. ... The taxpayers of our state end up footing the bill for him to prepare and give depositions and testimony in civil cases.”

Under current state law, witnesses in civil cases are paid $12 for each full day’s attendance in cases, plus mileage to and from their residences.

Under the proposed legislation, coroners could charge a fee comparable to their regular hourly rate, with the proceeds deposited in the county’s general fund.

“I believe that it is important during these hard economic times to ensure that we are using our taxpayers’ money wisely,” Letson testified. “We are not doing that when our taxpayers foot the bill for testimony our coroners give in civil litigation.”