Stark County is located in Ohio, with the county seat in the City of Canton. The county comprises six cities, 12 villages, and 17 townships. As of 2020, approximately 374,853 individuals were residing in the county.

Courts in Stark County

The Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals is the highest court in Stark County. It has original jurisdiction to hear appeals from lower courts in the county. The Judges of the Court of Appeals have the authority to review the judgments made at the trial courts and affirm or issue new rulings.

The Common Pleas Court has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases in the county, and each division specializes in different legal matters. The General Division has original jurisdiction over felonies, property disputes, breaches of contract, and other civil cases in which the disputed amount exceeds $15,000.

The Juvenile Division of the Family Court deals with various cases involving minors below the age of 18. Juvenile cases heard at the Stark County Family Court include child abuse and neglect, child custody, juvenile delinquency, dependency, unruly youth, paternity, and juvenile traffic offenses.

The Domestic Relations Division of the Family Court hears and makes determinations in divorces, dissolutions, changes to custody arrangements, visitation rights, support enforcement, domestic violence, and other family law cases in the county.

The Probate Court handles legal matters like the administration of decedents' estates, guardianships, civil mental health commitments, adoptions, name changes, marriage licenses, trusts, land appropriations, and will construction actions.

Stark County’s Municipal Courts are located in Canton, Alliance, and Massillon. They handle cases involving violations of local ordinances, traffic offenses, misdemeanors, and preliminary hearings for felonies. These courts also have a small claims division where individuals can file lawsuits with claims up to $6,000.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Stark County

The Stark County Clerk of Courts is responsible for keeping the records of civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases that are filed at the Municipal Courts and Common Pleas Court. Likewise, probate records are maintained by the clerk of the Probate Court. It is possible to find public court records in Stark County online or at the office of the Clerk of Courts. Interested persons can either inspect such records at the Clerk’s Office or request copies of the needed court documents at the Office or by mail.

Types of Public Court Records in Stark County

Unless regarded as confidential information, anyone can access the following types of public court records in Stark County:

• Criminal Court Records
• Civil Court Records
• Traffic Court Records
• Probate Court Records
• Family Court Records

Confidential Court Records in Stark County

Ohio laws permit the public disclosure of court records in Stark County, except for those that are classified as confidential. Due to the sensitive nature of the information they contain, access to confidential court records in Stark County is limited to individuals authorized by the court or the parties that were involved in the court proceedings.

Some examples of confidential court records in Stark County are:

• Medical records
• Personal information in public court documents, such as social security numbers, financial account numbers, and driver's license number
• Records of probation and parole proceedings
• Adoption records
• Records containing the names, addresses, or other personal information of minors
• Juvenile court records
• Expunged criminal records
• Records containing personal information about victims of domestic violence

Juvenile Delinquency in Stark, OH

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

In 2017, a total of 668 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Stark County. Of that total, 0% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1 court cases. Another 60% were dependency cases that accounted for 402 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Stark County, OH

https://ohio.gov/

County Seat:	Canton
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1808
Total Square Miles:	581
2019 Population:	372,542
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	110 Central Plz S Ste 250 County Administration Building Canton , OH 44702-1410 https://www.starkcountyohio.gov

Stark County, OH Courts