Ohio Mayor's Courts

Not to be confused with Ohio Municipal Courts.

Ohio Mayor's Courts are state courts in Ohio created by some municipalities. The Mayor's Courts hear traffic cases, violations of city ordinances and other misdemeanors. The presiding officer is a magistrate (not a judge) appointed by the mayor, or even being the mayor, and paid by the city or village.

Mayor's Courts are not considered trial courts or courts of record and are not subject to the supervision of the Ohio Supreme Court. Mayor's Courts are not authorized to conduct jury trials. If a defendant is entitled to and desires a jury trial, then the case is transferred to the jurisdiction's trial court of limited jurisdiction (Municipal Court or County Court).

There has been criticism of the courts.^[1] The majority of revenue generated from fines and court costs go to the city or village, in contrast to fines and court costs levied by the municipal court or county court. The late Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Thomas J. Moyer pointed out that the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that there is an unconstitutional conflict of interest for a mayor to levy a fine paid into a budget that the mayor himself controls.^[2]

List of Mayor's Courts

The following 260 Ohio jurisdictions have Mayor's Courts:

• Adams County – (2) Peebles, West Union
• Allen County – (4) Cairo, Delphos, Elida, Fort Shawnee
• Ashland County – (1) Loudonville
• Ashtabula County – (3) Andover, Geneva-on-the-Lake, North Kingsville
• Athens County – (1) Coolville, Nelsonville
• Auglaize County – (2) Minster, New Knoxville
• Belmont County – (5) Bellaire, Martins Ferry, Powhatan Point, Shadyside, St. Clairsville
• Brown County – (3) Georgetown, Ripley, Hamersville
• Butler County (2) Monroe, Trenton
• Carroll County – None
• Champaign County – (3) Mechanicsburg, North Lewisburg, St. Paris
• Clark County – (2) Enon, South Charleston
• Clermont County – (8) Amelia, Bethel, Felicity, Loveland, Milford, New Richmond, Owensville, Williamsburg
• Clinton County – None
• Columbiana County – (2) Hanoverton, Summitville
• Coshocton County – None
• Crawford County – (1) Crestline
• Cuyahoga County: (18) Beachwood, Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Brook Park, Brooklyn Heights, Chagrin Falls, Glenwillow, Highland Hills, Independence, Middleburg Heights, Newburgh Heights, North Royalton, Oakwood Village, Orange, Seven Hills, Valley View, Walton Hills, Woodmere
• Darke County – (1) Union City
• Defiance County – None
• Delaware County – (2) Shawnee Hills, Sunbury
• Erie County – (2) Kelley's Island, Milan
• Fairfield County – (2) Lithopolis, Pickerington, Sugar Grove
• Fayette County – None
• Franklin County- (17) Bexley, Canal Winchester, Dublin, Gahanna, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Groveport, Hilliard, Marble Cliff, New Albany, Obetz, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Valleyview, Westerville, Whitehall, Worthington
• Fulton County – None
• Gallia County – None
• Geauga County – None
• Greene County – (1) Yellow Springs
• Guernsey County – (2) Byesville, Senecaville,
• Hamilton County – (23) Amberley, Arlington Heights, Blue Ash, Cheviot, Cleves, Fairfax, Forest Park, Golf Manor, Harrison, Indian Hill, Madeira, Montgomery, Mount Healthy, Newtown, North College Hill, Norwood, Reading, Sharonville, Silverton, Springdale, Saint Bernard, Terrace Park, Wyoming
• Hancock County – None
• Hardin County – None
• Harrison County – None
• Henry County – None
• Highland County – None
• Hocking County – (2) Laurelville, Murray City
• Holmes County – None
• Huron County – (1) Plymouth
• Jackson County – (1) Coalton
• Jefferson County – (7) Bergholz, Dillonvale, Empire, Mingo Junction, New Alexandria, Stratton, Wintersville
• Knox County – None
• Lake County – (6) Fairport Harbor, Grand River, Madison, Perry, Willoughby Hills
• Lawrence County – (5) Chesapeake, Coal Grove, Hanging Rock, Proctorville, South Point
• Licking County – (10) Alexandria, Buckeye Lake, Granville, Hartford, Hebron, Johnstown, Kirkersville, Pataskala, St. Louisville, Utica
• Logan County – (1) Russells Point
• Lorain County – (6) Avon, Grafton, Lagrange, North Ridgeville, Sheffield, Sheffield Lake
• Lucas County – (1) Berkey
• Madison County – (1) Mount Sterling
• Mahoning County – (4) Canfield, Lowellville, New Middletown, Poland
• Marion County – None
• Medina County – (3) Brunswick, Seville, Westfield Center
• Meigs County – (5) Middleport, Pomeroy, Racine, Rutland, Syracuse
• Mercer County – (3) Coldwater, Rockford, St. Henry
• Miami County – (2) Bradford, Fletcher
• Monroe County – (1) Woodsfield
• Montgomery County – (3) Moraine, Phillipsburg, West Carrollton
• Morgan County – (2) Malta, McConnelsville
• Morrow County – (3) Cardington, Edison, Mount Gilead
• Muskingum County – (5) Dresden, Frazeysburg, New Concord, Roseville, South Zanesville
• Noble County – None
• Ottawa County – (2) Put-in-Bay, Wayne
• Paulding County – (4) Antwerp, Oakwood, Paulding, Payne
• Perry County – (8) Corning, Crooksville, Junction City, New Lexington, New Straitsville, Shawnee, Somerset, Thornville
• Pickaway County – (4) Ashville, Commercial Point, New Holland, South Bloomfield
• Pike County – (2) Piketon, Waverly
• Portage County – (1) Mogadore
• Preble County – (3) Camden, Gratis, West Elkton
• Putnam County – (1) Columbus Grove
• Richland County – (6) Bellville, Butler, Lexington, Lucas, Ontario, Shiloh
• Ross County – None
• Sandusky County – (2) Bellevue, Fremont
• Scioto County – (1) New Boston
• Seneca County – (3) Bloomville, Green Springs, Republic
• Shelby County – (4) Anna, Jackson Center, Port Jefferson, Russia
• Stark County – (7) East Canton, East Sparta, Hartville, Louisville, Minerva, North Canton, Waynesburg
• Summit County – (8) Boston Heights, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Macedonia, Northfield, Norton, Peninsula, Richfield
• Trumbull County – (2) Hubbard, McDonald
• Tuscarawas County – (2) Midvale, Port Washington
• Union County – None
• Van Wert County – None
• Vinton County – (1) McArthur
• Warren County – (7) Carlisle, Harveysburg, Maineville, Morrow, South Lebanon, Springboro, Waynesville
• Washington County – (3) Belpre, Beverly, Matamoras
• Wayne County – (7) Creston, Doylestown, Marshallville, Mount Eaton, Shreve, Smithville, West Salem
• Williams County – None
• Wood County – (9) Bloomdale, Bradner, Haskins, North Baltimore, Northwood, Portage, Risingsun, Walbridge, West Millgrove
• Wyandot County – None

References

1. . The Columbus Dispatch. 22 July 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
2. Small Ohio Towns Use Mayor's Court for Big Revenue

External links

• "Murky Future In Store For Ohio Mayor's Courts", Hudsonhubtimes.com, 11-14-2007.
• The Guide to Ohio Courts last retrieved June 10, 2009.
• The Supreme Court of Ohio: Mayor’s Courts Summary 2007