Clark County
Clark County was established in 1818 and named after General George Rogers Clark, an American Revolutionary War hero. The county is located in southwestern Ohio as part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Springfield. Clark County has an estimated population of 135.877 residents living in an area that spans 395.9 square miles. The county's court system comprises the Courts of Common Pleas and several lower courts, including the Municipal Court and Mayor's Courts. These courts are dedicated to administering justice following the rule of law.
The Clark County Court of Common Pleas in Springfield is the county's highest trial court, handling criminal and civil cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. This includes civil disputes over $15,000, domestic relations, mental health, probate, estate administration, and felony cases. It also hears appeals from lower courts and administrative agencies. The court has specialized divisions, including General, Domestic Relations, Juvenile, and Probate Courts. The General Court and Domestic Relations Division handles most criminal and civil cases, divorce, and child custody. The Juvenile Court handles matters involving minors, such as juvenile traffic cases, most paternity cases, delinquency, abuse, neglect, and adoption. The Probate Court oversees the administration of estates, guardianships, mental illness cases, and issues related to wills and trusts. The Municipal Court covers traffic and non-traffic misdemeanors, some parking violations, and most violations of township resolutions. They also conduct preliminary hearings on felonies. Civil cases handled by the court include actions involving the recovery of money or personal property, replevin, contract disputes, and civil claims that do not exceed $15,000. Each County Court has a specialized division that handles small claims involving the recovery of $3,000 or less. On the other hand, the Mayor's Courts handle minor municipal ordinance violations and traffic cases.
Public records in Clark County are generated from various legal proceedings on civil and criminal cases within the count. They contain information about filings, motions, judgments, rulings, and transcripts of hearings. Examples of court records are:
- Civil Records
- Criminal Records
- Juvenile Records
- Probate Records
- Family Records
- Traffic Records
Public access to these records and docket entries is available under Ohio's Open Records Law through the Clark County Clerk of Courts' Office or via the Ohio statewide online case search portal. However, certain records, such as those involving juvenile delinquency, guardianships, terminating parental rights, and emergency mental health evaluations, are confidential and not accessible to the public without a court order.
