Ohio State Courts

The judicial system in Ohio features two separate district federal courts, as well as a state supreme court which oversees the rest of the state justice system. There are 12 courts of appeals, which is an unusually high number, and there are also a number of trial courts, some of these have just limited, subject-matter jurisdiction over one specific area of law.

The two federal district courts, point of origin for many federal cases, are the Northern District of Ohio Federal Court and the Southern District of Ohio.

There are also two specific bankruptcy courts serving these same districts. They have subject-matter jurisdiction to deal with all issues relating to bankruptcy in the state for businesses and individuals.

There are different types of trial courts within the state. The Common Pleas Courts are trial courts, these are present in each of the counties of the state, 88 in total.

Under these are the Municipal Courts which have jurisdiction over specific areas and ordinance violations such as traffic misdemeanors. 

Ohio also has County Courts. These hear the preliminary hearings of many of the local ordinance issues, traffic laws and sometimes small civil claims of lower values.

Unusually, there is also a system of a Mayor’s Court. These only deal with local state laws such as ordinance and state laws and should there be appeals they are quickly moved up to the other courts in the state.

The Court of Claims in Ohio deals exclusively with civil actions that are made against the state of Ohio.

https://ohio.gov/

Court Name:	Ohio Supreme Court
Address:	65 S Front St, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone:	(614) 387-9000
Website URL:	http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/

Intermediate and Supreme Courts

The judicial system of Ohio has a number of different District Courts of Appeal. These are for the escalation of cases to come from the trial courts. There are 12 different districts of Appeal Courts, and a number of counties represented within each of these districts. Between 4 and 12 judges sit within the courts.

There are 7 judgeships at the Ohio Supreme Court, which dates back to the early 1800s. This court is the court of last resort in the state and cases are often referred from both district and appellate courts.

Types of Courts in Ohio

How to Find Ohio Court Records Online

Quickly and easily search through the long history of Ohio Court Records on our site. The Ohio Open Records Law protects the right of citizens to see public records kept by the court, unless otherwise redacted by law. Records exist in the state from way back in the 1700s, but most modern records have been digitized and are available to view and search online. 

Find information such as judge and plea details, sentencing, bail terms, probate information and much more. Most of the state court details are simple and straightforward to find. 

Ohio Counties