Ohio Appeal Courts
State Court Systems
Each state establishes its own system, so there are many variations, but most state systems encompass the following:
| Type of court | Function | The Ohio Court System |
| Court of last resort (usually called the supreme court) | Deals with appeals from lower courts. Has discretion to decide which cases merit review. | The Ohio Supreme Court. |
| Intermediate appellate courts | Deal with appeals concerning lower court decisions. | In Ohio the Courts of Appeals are divided into 13 districts. |
| Trial courts | Trials at which evidence is heard, often in both criminal and civil cases |
Each county has a Court of Common Pleas (sometimes with specialized divisions by subject), which deals with criminal felony cases and civil cases over $500. The Court of Claims has statewide jurisdiction over civil cases against the state of Ohio and claims for compensation for crime victims. |
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HeinOnline Academic is a full-text research collection offering U.S. federal publications such as the U.S. Code, Federal Register, treaties and agreements, U.S. and state appellate court opinions, federal legislative histories, presidential documents; a collection of legal classics; and constitutions of the world
- The Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Judicial SystemThe primary function of the judicial branch is to fairly and impartially settle disputes according to the law. To do this, a number of courts have been established in the state by the Constitution and by acts of the General Assembly. Further, in addition to its place in the court structure as the court of last resort, the Supreme Court, in particular the Chief Justice, is responsible for the administration of the judicial branch in Ohio.
- Supreme Court of Ohio Recent Opinions and Case AnnouncementsThe Supreme Court of Ohio is established by Article IV, Section 1, of the Ohio Constitution, which provides that “the judicial power of the state is vested in a Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, Courts of Common Pleas and divisions thereof, and such other courts inferior to the Supreme Court as may from time to time be established by law.”
- Ohio Court of AppealsContent of web sites varies by district.
- Court of Claims of OhioThe Court of Claims is given original jurisdiction to hear and determine all civil actions filed against the State of Ohio and its agencies. The court also hears appeals from decisions made by the Attorney General on claims allowed under the Victims of Crime Act.
- Ohio Court LinksListing of Ohio city and county courts. Many have searchable records.
- National Center for State CourtsNCSC publication resources, which include reports from their research department, trends reports, NCSC annual reports, and other valuable publications, and cover all areas of judicial administration. Currently, the eCollection has over 5,000 documents and it continues to grow.
- FindLawFindLaw's Cases and Codes section contains resources and links for both state and federal laws. This includes resources pertaining to constitutions, statutes, cases and more.
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