Courts in Ohio
| More information on Ohio's state courts: |
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In Ohio, there are two federal district courts, a state supreme court, twelve state courts of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.
Click a link for information about that court type.
The image below depicts the flow of cases through Ohio's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.
Judicial selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Ohio
As of January 2022, selection of state court judges in Ohio occurs through partisan primaries and nonpartisan general elections for the Ohio Supreme Court and the Ohio District Courts of Appeals and through partisan primaries and nonpartisan general elections for the trial courts, county courts, and municipal courts. Previously, state supreme court and intermediate appellate court judges were selected through partisan primaries and nonpartisan general elections, known as the Michigan method.[1][2]
All judges serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.[3] Across the state's appellate and trial courts, there are seven supreme court justices, 391 court of common pleas judges, and a varying number of court of appeals judges. On the court of appeals, the number of judges in each of the 12 districts varies by caseload and population, but each district has between four and 12 judges.[4]
Federal courts
The federal district courts in Ohio are the:
Appeals from these districts go to the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.
Active judges
Northern District
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 12, 2003 - |
Bowling Green State University, 1978 |
University of Akron School of Law, 1983 |
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| March 14, 2007 - |
Bowling Green State University, 1983 |
The Ohio State University, Moritz School of Law, 1987 |
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| December 27, 2010 - |
Georgetown University, 1985 |
Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, 1995 |
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| June 7, 2012 - |
University of Michigan, 1983 |
The Ohio State University, Moritz School of Law, 1988 |
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| June 18, 2019 - |
Kenyon College, 1979 |
The Ohio State University, 1982 |
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| November 13, 2020 - |
Mount Union College, 1986 |
University of Toledo College of Law, 1992 |
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| December 3, 2020 - |
College of the Holy Cross, 1993 |
Harvard Law School, 2000 |
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| February 8, 2022 - |
John Carroll University, 1997 |
Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 2000 |
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| February 8, 2022 - |
Kent State University, 1986 |
Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 1990 |
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| February 8, 2022 - |
The Ohio State University, 1997 |
Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, 2000 |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 5
- Republican appointed: 5
Southern District
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1, 1996 - |
Brown University, 1975 |
Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 1978 |
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| November 7, 1997 - |
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1976 |
Northwestern University School of Law, 1979 |
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| September 10, 2004 - |
The Ohio State University, 1983 |
Capital University School of Law, 1987 |
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| June 14, 2019 - |
The Ohio State University |
Capital University School of Law |
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| December 5, 2019 - |
Ripon College, 1988 |
University of Chicago Law School, 1993 |
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| December 31, 2019 - |
Capital University, 1989 |
Capital University Law School, 1992 |
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| November 10, 2020 - |
New York University, 1982 |
American University, Washington College of Law, 1989 |
||
| December 16, 2022 - |
Bowdoin College, 1982 |
The Ohio State University, 1985 |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 3
- Republican appointed: 5
Judicial selection
Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.
Bankruptcy courts
There are two federal bankruptcy courts in Ohio. These courts have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy courts in Ohio are:
State supreme court
- See also: Ohio Supreme Court
Founded in 1802, the Ohio Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Sharon Kennedy.
As of January 2023, there were four Republican and three Democratic judges on the court.
The following judges sit on the court:
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Supreme Court | Jennifer L. Brunner | Democratic | January 2, 2021 |
| Ohio Supreme Court | Pat DeWine | Republican | January 2, 2017 |
| Ohio Supreme Court | Joseph Deters | Republican | January 7, 2023 |
| Ohio Supreme Court | Michael P. Donnelly | Democratic | 2019 |
| Ohio Supreme Court | Pat Fischer | Republican | January 1, 2017 |
| Ohio Supreme Court | Melody Stewart | Democratic | 2019 |
| Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice | Sharon L. Kennedy | Republican | January 1, 2023 |
State court of appeals
- See also: Ohio Court of Appeals
The District Courts of Appeal are the intermediate appellate courts for the state of Ohio. The courts are established by Article IV, Section 1 of the Ohio Constitution, and their jurisdiction is outlined in Article IV, Section 3.[4]
Twelve districts make up the District Courts of Appeal, and each district is assigned a certain number of counties. The number of judges in each district varies by caseload and population, but each district has between four and 12 judges.[4]
The following judges sit on the court:
First District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
February 9, 2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 11, 2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 12, 2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
November 6, 2016 - Present |
Elected |
Second District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
2013 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 11, 2017 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 20, 2022 - Present |
Richard Michael DeWine |
Third District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
February 9, 2017 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2007 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 11, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
Fourth District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
1991 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 10, 2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
August 3, 2020 - Present |
Richard Michael DeWine |
Fifth District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
February 1, 1991 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
1995 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
1988 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
April 27, 2013 - Present |
John Kasich |
|
|
2006 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
Sixth District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
2007 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2017 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 10, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 10, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
Seventh District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
November 4, 2014 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 10, 1997 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
April 10, 2024 - Present |
Richard Michael DeWine |
Eighth District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
February 9, 2003 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2011 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2005 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2013 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2006 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2015 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2012 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 11, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 1, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
December 19, 2022 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2011 - Present |
Elected |
Ninth District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
1998 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2012 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 11, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
Tenth District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
January 3, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 27, 2014 - Present |
John Kasich |
|
|
January 1, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 2, 2011 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
February 9, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
July 1, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
Eleventh District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
June 5, 2023 - Present |
Richard Michael DeWine |
|
|
2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2019 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
July 1, 2021 - Present |
Richard Michael DeWine |
|
|
February 9, 2023 - Present |
Elected |
Twelfth District
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
February 9, 2009 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
October 4, 2012 - Present |
John Kasich |
|
|
2010 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
1995 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 1, 2021 - Present |
Elected |
Trial courts
Court of claims
- See also: Ohio Court of Claims
The Court of Claims is a court in Ohio that has authority over all civil actions taken against the state and its agencies.[5]
Courts of common pleas
- See also: Ohio Courts of Common Pleas
The Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are trial courts in Ohio. There is a Court of Common Pleas in each of the state's 88 counties, as prescribed by Article 4, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution.[5]
Municipal court
- See also: Ohio Municipal Courts
The Ohio Municipal Courts are trial courts of jurisdiction over violations of municipal ordinances, with some exceptions.[5]
County courts
- See also: Ohio County Courts
The Ohio County Courts have jurisdiction over criminal matters involving misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings and most violations of township resolutions. The County Courts also have jurisdiction over civil claims involving less than $15,000.[6]
Mayor's court
The Ohio mayor's courts, allowed in cities with over 200 residents that do not have a municipal court, are not courts of record. Only cases involving the violation of local ordinances or state traffic laws are heard in these courts, and decisions can be appealed.[5]
In other states
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Ohio Candidate Requirement Guide,” accessed December 7, 2021
- ↑ Ohio General Assembly, “(Senate Bill Number 80),” accessed December 7, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Ohio," archived October 4, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Supreme Court of Ohio, "Courts of Appeal," archived July 5, 2022
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System, "Judicial System Structure," archived May 19, 2022
- ↑ Court Reference, "Ohio Courts Online Guide," accessed March 9, 2021
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio
State courts:
Ohio Supreme Court • Ohio District Courts of Appeal • Ohio Courts of Common Pleas • Ohio County Courts • Ohio Municipal Courts • Ohio Court of Claims
State resources:
Courts in Ohio • Ohio judicial elections • Judicial selection in Ohio
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