The Court has unveiled a new bench book for Ohio mayor’s courts.

The Court has unveiled a new bench book for Ohio mayor’s courts.

The Ohio Supreme Court has released a new bench book to help mayor’s courts navigate day-to-day operations more smoothly and efficiently.

Ohio mayor’s courts hear traffic violations, misdemeanors, and cases involving operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In 2004, the Supreme Court adopted rules providing court procedures and basic legal education for mayor’s courts. Since then, mayors and magistrates hearing mayor’s court cases have been required to complete specific education on an annual basis.

“In an effort to ensure all of Ohio’s courts are fair, transparent, and accountable to the public they serve, I encourage you to use this resource when conducting your mayor’s court,” Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said.

The bench book includes:

• An outline of the court process, including the proper method for issuing a summons or complaint and the taking and recording of pleas
• A useful checklist for explaining the rights a mayor or magistrate must ensure a defendant understands when brought before a mayor’s court
• A guide to the proper methods for collecting court costs and fines
• Instructions for sealing a criminal record and considerations to be made if the defendant is indigent
• Important information regarding cases that cannot be heard in mayor’s courts, including crime victims’ rights
• The requirement to appoint counsel to indigent defendants and the requirement to appoint interpreters for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Information for assisting those who cannot speak or understand the English language, or those who have limited-English proficiency.

The guide also contains the complete set of mayor’s court rules, sample forms to be used during the court process, and instructions for registering mayor’s courts each year and reporting quarterly statistics to the Ohio Supreme Court.