CONTACT INFORMATION

207 South Court Street
Circleville, OH 43113
P: (740) 474-6026
F: (740) 477-6334

CLERK OF COURTS
P: (740) 474-5231
F: (740) 477-3976

VISIT WEBSITE

THE HONORABLE P. RANDALL KNECE
Magistrate Elisa Peters
Magistrate Shelly Harsha

DOWNLOAD RULES OF COURT

The courts of common pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state. They are the only trial courts created by the Ohio Constitution (in Article IV, Section 1). The duties of the courts are outlined in Article IV, Section 4. Each of Ohio's 88 counties has a court of common pleas. The Ohio General Assembly (the state legislature) has the power to divide courts of common pleas into divisions, and has done so, establishing general, domestic relations, juvenile, and probate divisions:

• General divisions have original jurisdiction in all criminal felony cases, all civil cases in which the amount in controversy is more than $15,000, and all cases involving title to real estate, excepting eviction matters. General divisions also have appellate jurisdiction over the decisions of some state administrative agencies and of city agencies.
  
  
• Domestic relations divisions have jurisdiction over proceedings involving divorce (dissolution of marriage), annulment, legal separation, spousal support, parental rights, children, etc.