Athens County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Athens County, Ohio, with a population of around 612,000 residents, is home to the oldest university in the state and has Athens as its county seat. Its court system is structured with different levels handling various cases. Its Court of Common Pleas holds the highest authority, handling a wide range of civil and criminal matters. However, its focus is typically on cases that are more complex or too serious for lower courts, such as Municipal Courts or Mayor's Courts.

The Athens County Court of Common Pleas handles criminal and civil cases exceeding $15,000. Divided into General, Domestic Relations, and Probate-Juvenile divisions, it tackles civil and criminal matters, appeals from administrative agencies, divorces, child custody, wills, estates, and more. The Athens County Municipal Court handles criminal offenses like traffic violations, misdemeanors, and even some preliminary hearings for felony cases. It also tackles civil disputes involving claims generally under $15,000. It has sole authority over cases where the amount in controversy is less than $500 and has the initial say in cases where neither party seeks more than $15,000. Athens County supplements its court system with four Mayor's Courts located in Coolville, Glouster, and Nelsonville. These courts address matters outside the jurisdiction of the municipal court, including violations of local ordinances, certain traffic offenses like driving under the influence, and some parking tickets.

With over 689 criminal and civil cases handled annually, the Athens Court System reflects the county's crime rate of 113 crimes per 10,000 residents and underscores the importance of the county's judicial system in effectively addressing crime committed in the county. In Athens County, residents can access public records through the Athens County Records Center, which stores and maintains these records. Simply submit a completed Public Records Request form to the center for retrieval. Note that some records, such as those pertaining to adoption procedures, probation and parole hearings, medical records, trial preparation records, and private law enforcement investigative records, are not subject to public access.

In summary, Athens County's court system is an essential part of the county administration and is dedicated to delivering justice in a variety of legal cases. The county's judicial system, which is made up of the mayor's courts, the municipal court, and the Courts of Common Pleas, enables it to successfully handle the variety of cases it hears. Athens County allows public access to its court records, which can be requested by contacting the County's Record Center.