Court System Overview

Ohio Judicial Structure

The Ohio Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice and Six Justices. It is the Court of last resort on state constitutional questions and questions of public or great general interest; appeals from Board of Tax Appeals and Public Utilities Commission; all death sentences; and original jurisdiction in select cases.

The Court of Appeals in Ohio consists of twelve districts, with three judge panels reviewing judgments of Common Pleas, Municipal and County Courts and also appeals from Board of Tax Appeals. The Appellate Courts do have original jurisdiction in select cases.

In Ohio, each of the 88 counties have a Court of Common Pleas. The Ohio Courts of Common Pleas have original jurisdiction over all justiciable matters and review of administrative officers and agencies as may be provided by law. The Erie County Common Pleas Court has three divisions all located in the Courthouse at 323 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, Ohio.

The General Division of the Erie County Common Pleas has exclusive jurisdiction over felony criminal matters and exclusive jurisdiction for civil matters where the amount of damages alleged is over $15,000.

The Probate Division of the Erie County Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over cases pertaining to wills, trusts and estates. The Probate Division also has the power to issue marriage licenses, to appoint guardians to those who are physically or mentally unable to manage their property and affairs, to appoint and control the conduct trustees of insolvents, to hear and determine actions related to durable powers of attorney for health care, to determine applications for the withdrawal of life support for patients who are terminally ill or permanently unconscious, and issues relating to adoption.

The Domestic Relations Division of the Erie County Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over parentage proceedings, cases of abuse and neglect of juveniles, unruly or delinquent juveniles, and divorce, dissolution of marriage, legal separation, and annulment cases.

Municipal Courts in Ohio have jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic cases, and civil actions where the amount of damages claimed does not exceed $15,000.00.

Each Municipal Court has a Small Claims Division which allows a person to pursue an action without the need to hire an attorney. A Small Claims case must arise within its territorial jurisdiction of the Municipal Court and is limited to cases for the collection of money or recovery of taxes for amounts not exceeding $3,000, exclusive of interests and costs. The Small Claims Division does not have jurisdiction in libel, slander, replevin, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process actions.

There are three municipal courts in Erie County. Sandusky Municipal Court has jurisdiction over disputes which arise in the City of Sandusky, Perkins Township, Castalia, and Bay View. That Court is located at 222 Meigs Street in Sandusky, Ohio 44870. The telephone numbers for the Court are (419) 627-5917 for civil matters and (419) 627-5920 for Criminal/Traffic matters.

Huron Municipal Court has jurisdiction over disputes which arise in the City of Huron and Huron Township. Huron Municipal Court is located at 417 Main Street, Huron, Ohio 44839 and the telephone phone number is (419) 433-5430.

Vermilion Municipal Court has jurisdiction over disputes which arise in the city of Vermilion, Vermilion Township, and Florence Township. The Vermillion Municipal Court is located at 687 Decatur Street, Vermilion, Ohio 44089 and the telephone number is (440) 967-6543.

Erie County has one County Court which handles cases that arise within Erie County but not within the territorial jurisdiction any one of the Municipal Courts, mentioned above. Like the Municipal Courts, the Erie County Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic cases, and civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $15,000.00. The Erie County Court Is located at 150 W. Mason Road, Milan, Ohio 44846 and the telephone number is (419) 499-4689.