Preble County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Preble County encompasses villages, townships, and the city of Eaton, which is the administrative center of the county government. Over 88% of this county is dedicated to cropland, ranking it among the top ten in corn and hog production in Ohio. As of 2022, it had a population of 40,929. The Court of Common Pleas and a Municipal Court are the key courts maintaining and delivering justice within the county.

Due to its limited jurisdiction, the Eaton Municipal Court deals with minor offenses within the city boundaries. This court is authorized to conduct preliminary hearings for felony cases, hear small claims cases up to $6,000, and handle civil actions in which the amount in controversy does not exceed $15,000. Contrarily, the Preble County Court of Common Pleas has original jurisdiction over most civil and criminal cases and is divided into four Divisions. All criminal felony cases and civil actions involving an amount greater than $5,000 are handled in the General Division. The Domestic Relations Division, on the other hand, handles family-related matters. While operating as a combined court, the Preble County Juvenile and Probate Court have different functions. All cases involving individuals who are under the age of 18, such as dependency, truancy, delinquency, and child support, are handled in the juvenile court, while the Probate Court is entrusted with trust processing, adoption, licensing marriages, resolving contested wills, and the supervision of testamentary trusts.

According to State of Ohio Court Statistics, the Eaton Municipal Court administers approximately 600 traffic cases each year. The General Division of the Court of Common Pleas majorly receives criminal and civil cases, processing about 300 civil and 400 criminal cases annually. The Probate Division processes around 290 cases, while the Juvenile Court handles over 700 cases each year. In addition, Preble County court records, excluding adoption, juvenile, and certain probate records, are available for public inspection at the respective courthouses where they were filed. For in-person inspections, individuals can visit the Office of the Clerk of Courts for Court of Common Pleas records or the Eaton Municipal Courthouse for Municipal Court records at regular business hours. Also, the Court of Common Pleas records are available on Courtview, while those of the Municipal Court are available on the Record Search webpage.

The Court of Common Pleas is subdivided into Divisions to help court users effectively navigate the court system. Within city limits, the Municipal Court maintains law and order by handling minor offenses. The court system demonstrates accountability by enabling residents to exercise their rights to inspect court records, which are available in paper and electronic form.