Refereeing the Referees: The Continuing Procedural Muddle in Cases of General Reference Pursuant to Ohio Rule of Civil Procedure 53

The judicial reference device set out in Rule 53 of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure was touted in 1974 as a procedure capable of relieving the "problem of justice delayed" by "easing the increasing judicial burden" on a besieged judiciary." While judicial reference is certainly no panacea for the problem (if numbers alone are a valid indicator), it is difficult to refute claims that the reference device contributes to a more efficient and speedy administration of justice.