General Information
Duties & Responsibilities of the Common Pleas Court-General Division:
Art. IV, Section 4, of the Ohio Constitution provides that there shall be a court of common pleas, and such divisions thereof as may be established by law, for each county of the state.
In accordance with this provision of the constitution, the legislature from time to time passes legislation providing for the number of judges and a division of the types of cases for each Common Pleas Court in the state.
The various divisions of the Common Pleas Courts are as follows: Criminal, Civil, Domestic Relations, Probate and Juvenile; and one or more of these divisions may be combined.
In Sandusky County, the Probate and Juvenile divisions are combined under Judge Brad Smith.
The Criminal, Civil and Domestic Relations divisions are combined under Judge Ray and Judge Ickes. All cases filed are assigned, randomly, to Judge Ray and Judge Ickes, in equal number.
Proceedings of the Common Pleas Court are generally open to the public.
OBSERVED HOLIDAYS
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day