Preble County, named after Commodore Edward Preble, a Naval Fleet Officer who served during the Tripolitan War, is located in the southwestern part of Ohio. Established in 1808, Preble County covers an area of 426 square miles and has a population of about 400 residents. Its county seat is in Eaton City.

Courts in Preble County

The Preble County court system is structured to handle all legal matters through the Courts of Common Pleas, Municipal, and Mayors Courts. The Preble County Court of Common Pleas presides over all criminal and civil cases, including felonies and civil disputes for claims above $15,000. The Courts of Common Pleas have separate divisions for probate, domestic relations, and juvenile cases.

• Probate Division: Presides over decedents estates, including trusts, wills, mental illness, and adoption.
• Domestic Relations Division: Deals with family disputes, such as child support, child visitation, divorce, and marital asset division
• Juvenile Division: Deals exclusively  with lawsuits involving minors, including delinquencies, truancy, foster care, child neglect, and child abuse

The Municipal Court in Preble County has jurisdiction over civil and misdemeanor cases within municipalities, such as petty theft, traffic violations, civil disputes below $15,000, and small claims for disputes less than $6,000. The Mayor's Court presides over cases involving violations of municipal ordinances and criminal traffic cases, including parking violations and driving under the influence.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Preble County

Public court records are documents maintained by the courts and accessible to the public. The Clerk of Courts is the record custodian for court records and provides electronic access to public court records through CourtView. In addition, record seekers may visit the courthouses during official hours to view and obtain copies of public court records. The office also permits mail requests for public court records.

Types of Public Court Records in Preble County

Access to public court records lets the public see how lawsuits are processed and decisions made, ensuring fairness and transparency in the legal process. Publicly accessible court records in Preble County include:

• Civil Court Records: Restraining orders, landlord-tenant disputes, defamation, property disputes,  and personal injury claims
• Criminal Court Records: Felonies and misdemeanors, including Forgery, arson, disorderly conduct, and simple assault
• Family Law Records: Child custody, child visitation, child support, divorce, annulments, and alimony
• Probate Records: Guardianships, wills, trusts, name changes, and conservatorships
• Traffic Court Records: School zone violations, failure to signal, illegal U-turns, parking violations, and driving with a suspended license

Confidential Court Records in Preble County

Confidential court records in Preble County refer to court documents and information inaccessible to the public. Confidential court records are sealed to protect sensitive information and comply with state and federal laws. Therefore, the following court records are confidential and restricted from the public  in Preble County:

• Mental health records
• Juvenile court records
• Adoption records
• Crime victims' information
• Confidential informants' information
• Substance abuse treatment records.

Furthermore, public court records contain personally identifiable information that is confidential by law and unavailable to the public. Personal identifiers are redacted from public court records to prevent unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and to comply with state and federal laws/ Redacted personal data on public court documents include:

• Social Security numbers
• Medical records
• Bank account and credit card numbers
• Vehicle plate numbers
• Driver’s license numbers.

Juvenile Delinquency in Preble, OH

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Preble County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Ohio often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 468 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Preble County. Of that total, 79% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 369 court cases. Another 18% were dependency cases that accounted for 84 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Preble County, are focusing on family counseling and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Preble County juvenile delinquency tallies will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Preble County, OH

https://ohio.gov/

County Seat:	Eaton
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1808
Total Square Miles:	426
2019 Population:	41,120
Persons/Square Mile:	0.01
County Contact:	101 E Main St County Courthouse Eaton , OH 45320-1790 http://www.prebco.org

Preble County, OH Courts