Ohio Case Law

The Ohio state court system is divided into three levels. The highest court in Ohio is the Ohio Supreme Court, which consists of seven judges. The Supreme Court reviews appeals of decisions by the Ohio District Courts of Appeals. It also reviews appeals of decisions by trial courts in limited situations, and it reviews appeals of decisions by state administrative agencies. Decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court are final unless the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review an appeal of a decision.

The middle level of the Ohio state court system consists of the Ohio District Courts of Appeals. There are 12 District Courts of Appeals, each of which contains between four and 12 judges. Most appeals of decisions by trial courts must pass through the District Courts of Appeals before reaching the Supreme Court.

The lowest level of the Ohio state court system consists primarily of the Ohio Courts of Common Pleas, the Ohio County Courts, and the Ohio Municipal Courts. The Courts of Common Pleas are trial courts with general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. The jurisdiction of the County Courts is limited to certain types of cases. These include misdemeanors, most violations of township resolutions, and civil matters with less than $15,000 at issue. The Municipal Courts typically review cases that involve violations of municipal ordinances.

Ohio Mayor's Courts exist in communities with over 200 residents that do not have a Municipal Court. These courts review traffic violations and violations of local ordinances. However, these are not courts of record, so a case will be tried from the beginning if it is appealed to a Municipal Court.

The Ohio Court of Claims is a separate trial court that exclusively reviews civil lawsuits against the State of Ohio and its agencies. This is a single court located in Columbus.