Cleveland Law Library Weblog

Ohio Supreme Court Warns 10 NE Ohio Mayor's Courts to Register

Cleveland.com reports that the Ohio Supreme Court has warned 10 Northeast Ohio Mayor's courts to register with the state. Apparently, the following Courts missed a January 15th deadline: Booklyn; Grand River; Madison; Moreland Hills; North Randall; Orange; Peninsula; Richfield; Seven Hills; and Velley View. These are not the only Mayor's courts in trouble. The article indicates that the Supreme Court recently mailed out 100 letters to allegedly offending Mayor's courts, including some who failed to file quarterly reports for 2008. Click here to link to the Ohio Supreme Court's page on Mayor's Court Registration and Reporting, Mayor's Court summaries from 2004 through 2007, and Mayor's Court Non-compliance lists from 2004 through 2006. Chapter 1905 of the Ohio Revised Code governs Mayor's Courts, and annual registration requirements are contained in ORC 1905.033.

Cuyahoga Falls Will Soon Open Mayors Court

According to the Falls News Press, Cuyahoga Falls will open the doors to its new Mayors Court on January 12th. However, local officers can start citing violators for minor misdemeanors (including traffic violations, disorderly conduct, unleashed dogs, and open containers) beginning on Monday, January 5th. The new court is moving into space being vacated by the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court, which is itself moving to Stow, Ohio. The new Clerk's office will be open 5 days a week, and the court will hold session on Mondays and Wednesdays, with "night court" coming eventually. Potential Magistrates include 9th Appellate District Court Judge Lynn Slaby and attorneys David Devaney and George Pappas. Like people who receive tickets in Cleveland, traffic violators in Cuyahoga Falls will soon be able to pay their tickets online. According to cleveland.com's blog, an aborted  attempt by members of the Ohio legislature could have prevented this new court from opening.

Supreme Court Reports Backlog in Ohio's Mayor's Courts

The Ohio Supreme Court has issued an annual study which reports that the backlog of cases pending in Mayor's courts beyond their recommended time limit has tripled since 2004. Under Chapter 1905 of the Ohio Revised Code, Mayor's Courts may exist in municipalities that have more than 100 residents. Mayor's Court Rule 15 has required these courts to report their statistics to the Ohio Supreme Court since 2004. Not surprisingly, the busiest Mayor's Court in the state was Linndale, which reported 4061.5 cases per 100 residents, compared to a low of .3 cases per 100 residents in a Perry County City. According to an article from the Toledo Blade, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer has been a chief proponent of eliminating Mayor's Courts. Justice Moyer provided testimony last year in support of pending HB154, which is one of several bills that have been introduced over the last few years to eliminate Mayor's Courts. Click here to read the Ohio Supreme Court's Press Release.