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Ohio Supreme Court...
Mayor’s Court New
Case Activity Drops Below 300,000 in 2010
July 8, 2011
After climbing above 300,000 in the number of new cases filed in Ohio’s
mayor’s courts in 2009, statistics show that new cases dropped below
that number last year.
These and other findings are contained in an annual report released
today by the Supreme Court of Ohio on the state’s 320 mayor’s courts.
The total new filings for all case types fell to 291,470 in 2010,
mainly due to more than 14,000 fewer “Other Traffic” cases, which
includes any traffic cases other than OVI (operating a vehicle while
under the influence) cases. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court
reported a similar decrease in the number of new traffic cases filed in
municipal and county courts in 2010.
Ohio law allows mayors of municipalities with more than 100 residents
without a municipal court to conduct mayor’s court. These courts hear
only cases involving violations of local ordinances and state traffic
laws.
In 2003, the General Assembly made mayor’s court registration and
reporting with the Supreme Court mandatory for the first time, and
beginning in 2004 the courts began filing quarterly reports under the
new law. Mayor’s courts operate largely outside the judicial system as
quasi-judicial bodies administered by mayors in the executive branch.
In 2010, Linndale mayor’s court in Cuyahoga County led the state in
cases per 100 residents with 2,773.3, just as it did in 2009, 2008 and
2007. As was the case in 2009, only one other community, Hanging Rock
in Lawrence County, generated more than 1,000 cases per 100 residents
at 1,310.4. Statewide, mayor’s courts averaged 20.2 cases per 100
residents in 2010, which is a slight decrease from 2009.
The Supreme Court analyzes case filing patterns and trends for the
exclusive purpose of assisting in the efficient administration of
justice. The Court does not examine or analyze larger social and
governmental trends that may contribute to or influence changes in case
filing volumes.
Read the story and download the pdf report here
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