Chapter 2931 | Jurisdiction; Venue

Section 2931.01 | Definitions pertaining to jurisdiction and venue.

• Effective: March 23, 2016
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 161 - 131st General Assembly

(A) As used in Chapters 2931. to 2953. of the Revised Code, "magistrate" includes county court judges, police justices, mayors of municipal corporation, and judges of other courts inferior to the court of common pleas.

(B) As used in Chapters 2931. to 2953., except sections 2933.21 to 2933.33, of the Revised Code:

(1) "Judge" does not include the probate judge.

(2) "Court" does not include the probate court.

(3) "Clerk" does not include the clerk of the probate court.

Section 2931.02 | Criminal jurisdiction - county courts.

• Effective: April 6, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 281 - 134th General Assembly

A judge of a county court is a conservator of the peace and has jurisdiction in criminal cases throughout the judge's area of jurisdiction. The judge of a county court may hear complaints of the peace and issue search warrants. Judges of county courts have jurisdiction on sworn complaint, to issue a warrant for the arrest of a person charged with the commission of a felony where it is made to appear that such person has fled or is outside this state and it is necessary or desirable to extradite such person. Judges of county courts have jurisdiction within their respective areas of jurisdiction in all cases of violation of any law relating to:

(A) Adulteration or deception in the sale of dairy products and other food, drink, drugs, and medicines;

(B) Prevention of cruelty to animals and children;

(C) The abandonment, nonsupport, or ill treatment of a child under eighteen years of age by the child's parents;

(D) The abandonment, or ill treatment of a child under eighteen years of age by the child's guardian;

(E) The employment of a child under fourteen years of age in public exhibitions or vocations injurious to health, life, or morals, or which will cause or permit the child to suffer unnecessary physical or mental pain;

(F) The regulation, restriction, or prohibition of the employment of females and minors;

(G) The torturing, unlawfully punishing, ill treating, or depriving anyone of necessary food, clothing, or shelter;

(H) Any violation of Chapters 4301. and 4303. of the Revised Code, or keeping a place where intoxicating liquor is sold, given away, or furnished in violation of any law prohibiting such acts;

(I) The shipping, selling, using, permitting the use of, branding, or having unlawful quantities of illuminating oil for or in a mine;

(J) The sale, shipment, or adulteration of commercial feeds;

(K) The use of dust-creating machinery in workshops and factories;

(L) The conducting of a pharmacy, or retail drug or chemical store, or the dispensing or selling of drugs, chemicals, poisons, or pharmaceutical preparations therein;

(M) The failure to place and keep in a sanitary condition a bakery, confectionery, creamery, dairy barn, milk depot, laboratory, hotel, restaurant, eating house, packing house, slaughterhouse, ice cream factory, or place where a food product is manufactured, packed, stored, deposited, collected, prepared, produced, or sold for any purpose, or for the violation of any law relating to public health;

(N) Inspection of steam boilers, and of laws licensing steam engineers and boiler operators;

(O) Prevention of short weighing and measuring and all violations of the weights and measures laws;

(P) Laws relating to the practice of medicine or surgery, or any of its branches;

(Q) Laws relating to the filling or refilling of registered containers by other than the owner, or the defacing of the marks of ownership thereon;

(R) Offenses arising from or growing out of the violation of conservation laws.

Last updated March 10, 2023 at 11:20 AM

Section 2931.03 | Criminal jurisdiction - common pleas courts.

• Effective: March 17, 1998
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 98 - 122nd General Assembly

The court of common pleas has original jurisdiction of all crimes and offenses, except in cases of minor offenses the exclusive jurisdiction of which is vested in courts inferior to the court of common pleas.

A judge of a court of common pleas does not have the authority to dismiss a criminal complaint, charge, information, or indictment solely at the request of the complaining witness and over the objection of the prosecuting attorney or other chief legal officer who is responsible for the prosecution of the case.

Section 2931.04 | Criminal jurisdiction - municipal courts.

• Effective: November 6, 1959
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 571 - 103rd General Assembly

Sections 2931.01 to 2931.03, inclusive, of the Revised Code, do not affect, modify, or limit the jurisdiction of municipal courts. All municipal court judges have jurisdiction within the territory for which they were elected or appointed in all cases of violation of Chapters 4301. and 4303. of the Revised Code and of prosecutions for keeping a place where intoxicating liquor is sold, given away, or furnished, in violation of any law prohibiting such acts.

Section 2931.06 | Special constables.

• Effective: January 1, 1958
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 937 - 102nd General Assembly

When the constables in a township situated on and consisting in whole or in part of one or more islands in a lake in this state, or in a township adjoining or abutting on lands belonging to a state or national home for disabled volunteer soldiers or a disabled volunteer soldiers' home, or insufficient to maintain the peace and enforce the laws for the preservation of order therein, a judge of the county court having jurisdiction in township may appoint not more than ten special constables to be conservators of the peace within such township and with powers of constables in criminal causes. The appointing judge shall enter such appointments upon his docket and they shall continue in force for one year unless revoked by him. Such special constables shall receive like fees as are paid for similar services to regular constables.

Section 2931.07 | Return of recognizances.

• Effective: January 1, 1958
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 937 - 102nd General Assembly

Recognizances taken by a judge of a county court or other officer authorized to take them, may be returned to the court of common pleas.

Such recognizances shall be returned to such court forthwith after the commitment of the accused, or after the taking of a recognizance for his appearance before such court. The prosecuting attorney may proceed with the prosecution in such court, and the accused shall appear therein and answer to his recognizance.

Section 2931.15 | New trial.

• Effective: January 1, 1960
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 133 - 103rd General Assembly

In prosecutions before a magistrate, a defendant who has been found guilty upon the verdict of a jury or by the decision of the magistrate without the intervention of a jury may upon written application filed within three days after the verdict or decision, be granted a new trial in like manner and for like reasons as provided by sections 2945.79 to 2945.83, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 2931.18 | Employment of attorneys by humane society.

• Effective: March 31, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 24 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) A humane society may appoint an attorney, and may also appoint one or more assistant attorneys, to prosecute violations of law relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals, except as provided in division (B) of this section.

The attorneys shall be paid out of the county treasury, from the general fund of the county or from the dog and kennel fund of the county, in an amount approved as just and reasonable by the board of county commissioners of that county.

(B) A humane society or its agent shall not employ an attorney or one or more assistant attorneys to prosecute a felony violation of section 959.131 of the Revised Code.

Section 2931.29 | Change of venue procedure.

• Effective: November 1, 1977
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 219 - 112th General Assembly

When a change of venue is ordered pursuant to section 2901.12 of the Revised Code, the clerk of the court in which the cause is pending shall make a certified transcript of the proceedings in the case, which, with the original affidavit, complaint, indictment, or information, he shall transmit to the clerk of the court to which said case is sent for trial, and the trial shall be conducted as if the cause had originated in the jurisdiction of the latter court. The prosecuting attorney, city director of law, or other officer who would have prosecuted the case in the court in which the cause originated shall take charge of and try the cause, and the court to which the cause is sent may on application appoint one or more attorneys to assist the prosecutor in the trial, and allow the appointed attorneys reasonable compensation.

Section 2931.30 | Change of venue - transfer of accused.

• Effective: January 1, 1974
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 511 - 109th General Assembly

When a change of venue is ordered pursuant to section 2901.12 of the Revised Code, and the accused is in jail, a warrant shall be issued by the clerk of the court in which the cause originated, directed to the proper officer, commanding him to convey the prisoner to the jail of the county or municipal corporation where the prisoner is to be tried, there to be kept until discharged. If the accused is charged with a bailable offense, and at the date of the order changing the venue is under bond for his appearance at the court from which the venue is changed, the court may fix in said order the amount of recognizance which said accused shall give for his appearance at the time the court may designate, in the court to which the venue is changed, and the clerk shall take such recognizance as in other cases, and forward the same with the record. The court shall recognize the witnesses of the prosecution to appear before the court in which the accused is to be tried.

Section 2931.31 | Change of venue - costs and expenses.

• Effective: January 1, 1974
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 511 - 109th General Assembly

The reasonable expenses of the officer acting as prosecutor, incurred inconsequence of a change of venue under section 2901.12 of the Revised Code, the fees of the clerk of the court to which the venue is changed, the sheriff or bailiff, and of the jury shall be allowed and paid out of the treasury of the county in which said cause originated.