Ross County
Ross County is located in south central Ohio. It was named for Senator James Ross of Pennsylvania. Ross County was established in August 1798 by the proclamation of the Governor of the Northwest Territory - Arthur St. Clair. More than 76,000 people live in Ross County.
In Ross County, there are two courts of common pleas and one municipal court. All three courts are located in Chillicothe, and they make up the trial court structure in the county.
The Chillicothe municipal court in Ross County hears certain types of civil and criminal cases. Criminal case types heard in the municipal court include general civil claims for amounts less than $15,000. The court's exclusive jurisdiction in cases where the amount is less than $500 and original jurisdiction where a party to the case seeks no more than $15,000. Civil cases handled by the court include actions for the recovery of personal property or money, judgement collection actions, replevin, contract cases, temporary protection orders, and forcible entry and detainer.
The Ross County common pleas court is a trial court of general jurisdiction. The court has jurisdiction over all felony criminal matters and a wide range of civil cases, including but not limited to actions pertaining to professional malpractice, personal injury, domestic matters, such as child support and divorce, breach of contract, foreclosures, appeals from administrative agencies, and actions for declaratory judgement and injunctive relief.
The court of common pleas has a probate division with jurisdiction over estates of deceased persons, trusts, adoptions, guardianships, civil actions, marriage licenses, mental illness proceedings, and other matters relating to the inheritance and family law, other than dissolution and divorce.
Court records in Ross County are kept by the Clerk of Courts. You can visit the office of the clerk at 2 N. Paint Street, Suite B, Chillicothe to obtain a copy. The Chillicothe municipal court makes case information available via the docket search feature of its website in the following categories:
- Criminal
- Civil
- Small claims
- Traffic
- Parking
Ross County makes case information for records of the common pleas court and juvenile or probate court deemed public information available via its eAccess portal. The portal allows users to search case information by providing a party name, case number, case type, or attorney information.
