Logan County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Logan County, located in west central Ohio, was named after Benjamin Logan, an American pioneer who fought in the area. It spans a total land area of 458.5 square miles and has an estimated population of 46,098. Bellefontaine serves as its county seat. The Logan County court system comprises the Courts of Common Pleas and Municipal Couts. These courts follow procedures required by law to serve the interest of justice and the public which is vital to maintaining peace and order in the county.

The Court of Common Pleas in Logan County is made up of the General and Family Courts. Both are located in Bellefontaine. The General Court hears criminal cases, civil cases, and appeals from administrative agencies. It typically handles cases beyond the purview of other courts. Its civil jurisdiction includes claims in which the amount in dispute exceeds $15,000.

The Family Court has several Divisions based on the specific cases heard, such as Domestic Relations, Juvenile, and Probate Matters. The Domestic Division handles cases such as divorce, dissolution of marriage, paternity, annulment, legal separation, civil protection orders, child support, allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, and other family-related disputes. Meanwhile, the Juvenile Division is tasked with handling cases involving minors. These include juvenile traffic cases, civil protection orders, truancy, curfew, delinquency, dependency, neglect, abuse, and most paternity cases. It shares child custody and child support jurisdictions with the Domestic Relations Division. On the other hand, the Probate Division jurisdictions include administration of the decedent's estate, mental illness, name change, testamentary trusts, will contests, civil claims, guardianships, conservatorships, and tax lien case filings.

Logan County's Municipal Court, located at Columbus Avenue in Bellefontaine, has jurisdiction over certain types of criminal, civil, and most traffic matters. Criminal cases heard include traffic and non-traffic misdemeanors, most municipal ordinance violations, felony preliminary hearings, and some parking violations. Its civil jurisdiction covers most general civil claims in which the amount in dispute is less than $15,000.

Logan County has a crime rate of 35.53 per 1,000 residents in a standard year, and the Family Division of Logan County Court of Common Pleas handled over 221 juvenile cases, and 272 family cases in 2021. The Logan County Court Clerk maintains the records of court proceedings through filing, docketing, and transcripts and provides online access through the records search portal. In addition, members of the public may visit the Clerk's Office to inspect and request non-confidential court records. They can also find Municipal Court public records on the Judiciary Records search portal. However, certain court documents in Logan County are sealed by court orders due to privacy concerns or to safeguard sensitive information. These records are not open to public inspection, although they may be accessed by authorized persons. In Logan County, sealed court records include those on mental health, adoption, information about jurors, personal identifiers, juveniles, and victims of domestic or sexual abuse.

In summary, the Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Court make up the court system in Logan County. These courts guarantee fair trial proceedings to protect the rights of the county's residents. They are dedicated to justice and the county's well-being through the provision of quality and timely services. The public trust and confidence in the legal system are strengthened by the transparent and easily accessible management of court records.