Seneca County Ohio
Common Pleas Court
The Seneca County Common Pleas Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction that was created by the Ohio Constitution and established in Article IV, Section 1. It is charged with providing prompt and fair resolution of litigation in civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases for all of Seneca County.
About
The Common Pleas Court
The Seneca County Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over all felony criminal cases and specific types of civil cases. These civil cases arise from a broad spectrum of issues that include, but are not limited to, negligence actions, appeals of decisions of administrative agencies, contract or labor disputes, foreclosure actions, declaratory judgment actions and actions for injunctive relief.
The Seneca County Common Pleas Court also has a Domestic Relations Division. This division of the Court has jurisdiction over divorce, dissolution, spousal support, child support, and custody in family disputes.
As outlined in the Ohio Constitution, Article IV, Section 4
Jury Service
A juror is a very important person in our legal system because our justice system is based on the belief that a just and fair result in court comes from having disputes settled by our fellow citizens.
Petit Juror
You will be called to be a juror on an “as needed basis.” You will receive a post card with a date and time to appear approximately one week prior to the date of jury service.
Grand Juror
You will receive a Summons with information regarding Grand Jury Duty in the mail approximately one month prior to the beginning of your 4 month term of service.
Divisions of the Court
The Rules of Practice and Procedure for the Common Pleas Court of Seneca County Ohio outline four divisions for the court.
General Division
This division of the court presides over all Felony Criminal cases and Civil cases, including grand jury, personal injury, contracts, torts, real estate, malpractice, appeals from state and county administrative agencies.
Domestic Relations
This division of the Court presides over divorce, dissolution, legal separation, spousal support, child support, and custody in family disputes involving a married couple. It also hears cases involving certain types of protection order requests.
Additional Resources
Additional programming and services provided by the court, along with helpful links to other commonly used resources.
Local Rules of Court
The local Rules of Court herein shall apply only to the General and Domestic Relations Divisions, except as otherwise specifically provided.
PIVOT Program
"Participating in Victory Transition" is a program that helps participants get back on the right path and assists with long-term sobriety.
Pretrial and Probation Services
This section deals with Pretrial and Probation Services
Civil Mediation
Mediation is a process whereby the parties meet with a person not connected with the case, who is trained in dispute resolution.
Judges
The Seneca County Common Pleas Court has two judges and two magistrates that preside over hearings.
