Franklin County Superior Court Case Search

While Franklin County does not have a Superior Court, it does have a Court of Common Pleas, which serves as the highest court in its judicial system. The other courts are the Municipal and Mayor’s Courts. The Franklin County Clerk of Courts files all Court of Common Pleas records.

Additionally, the clerk operates a Case Information Online Portal to make these records easy to find. This is very important because county residents consistently look up case files to conduct background checks for, maybe an employee or a renter. Interested parties can use the search tool to look up records generated by the Court of Appeals and the Civil/Criminal and Domestic divisions.

What Kinds of cases have been heard in Franklin Superior Court?

The Court of Common Pleas for Franklin County hears court cases outside the scope of the lesser courts in the county. The court also has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases in the county. It has original jurisdiction over felonies and civil cases in which the amount in controversy is more than $15,000. The Franklin Court of Common Pleas is also divided into three divisions:

1. Domestic Relations Division handles divorce, child custody, and child support cases.
2. Juvenile Division: This division handles offenses involving minors (including juvenile traffic cases) and most paternity cases.
3. General Division: This division handles civil cases, criminal cases, and appeals from most administrative agencies.
4. Probate Division: This division handles cases that include wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, mental illness, and adoptions.

Franklin County Superior Court

The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas plays the most senior role among the courts in the county. The court is responsible for hearing felony cases and civil matters beyond the scope of other courts. Aside from being the central pillar of the county’s judicial system, the court offers Franklin County residents the opportunity to settle their differences legally.

Individuals can find the Court of Common Pleas and its divisions at the following addresses:

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - Domestic Relations Division and Juvenile Branch
Franklin County Government Center
373 S High St, 6th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3628

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - General Division
Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse
345 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3453
Fax: (614) 525-4480

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - Probate Court
Franklin County Government Center
373 S High St, 22nd Floor, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3894
Fax: (614) 525-7422

Franklin County Case Lookup

Every county provides its residents with an avenue to look up court cases. The same goes for Franklin County. The Court Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas ensures people can make county-wide case lookups.

For Online Searches
Court records are accessible through a unique Case Information Online Portal maintained by the Clerk's Office. You can use it to look up records produced by the Court of Appeals and the Court of Common Pleas's Domestic and Civil/Criminal divisions. Parties do not need to register before completing a search; it is free to use. Record seekers must enter the names of the parties, the case type, and the case number to search. However, online searches will only provide limited amounts of information. For more detailed court records, record seekers must get certified copies.

Walk-in Requests
The Clerk of Court also allows county residents to make walk-in requests. This still makes it easy for people unfamiliar with computers to conduct court records requests. Individuals can visit the office Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm to make requests. The Clerk of Court also charges a fee for requesting certified copies of court records. Interested parties may pay this fee with a check, money order, or a credit/debit card. The Clerk of Courts’ office is located at:

Franklin County Courthouse
373 S High St., 23rd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 525-3600

Mail-in Requests
County residents can also make mail-in requests if they cannot go to the Clerk of Courts’ physical address. The Clerk of Court provides a public records request form people can fill out to obtain copies of court records. Parties must include the kind of court record they are looking for, their first and last name, and their address. These copies are not free, as a fee is required. Interested parties can use money orders or checks to pay for the copies.

Franklin Superior Court Case Search by Name

People may not have all the information needed to scour court records. They might have the name of one of the parties to a court case. Fortunately, parties can use the Case Search Information Portal to look for court records by name. Additionally, those who make requests can look up court documents by name by going to the Clerk of Courts, located at:

Franklin County Courthouse
373 S High St., 23rd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 525-3600

However, searching with just names comes with its pitfalls. Name-based searches are less likely to be precise. It also gives too many options for people to sift through.

Franklin Superior Court Docket Search

One of the most critical court documents is the docket. They serve as a thorough log of a case's development. They record rt's necessary proceedings, filings, and rulings. It offers crucial details such as forthcoming hearings, motions submitted by either side, court decisions, and the case's general state. Franklin County citizens can look up court dockets via the Case Information Online Portal. Users must enter the case number and the parties' names to locate a docket. By keeping those involved in a case updated on court dates, court dockets help them avoid missing necessary hearings or filing deadlines.

Lookup Franklin County Superior Court Online

Apart from government portals like the Case Information Online Portal, Franklin County residents may be able to look for cases using external third-party resources such as Ohiocourtrecords.us. Third-party websites like this give another option for those who find government-run resources hard to use. They are convenient, with usually simple and modern interfaces that are user-friendly. Despite this, they are not always reliable. Information on these websites can be inaccurate. Ensure to crosscheck with government resources before acting on information found on third-party websites.

Supreme Court vs. Superior Court

The Franklin Court of Common Pleas serves as a trial court where cases are first heard, evidence is presented, and a judge or jury makes decisions. It has general jurisdiction over criminal, civil, and family law matters, meaning it handles a wide range of cases at the initial level. If a party is dissatisfied with a ruling, they may appeal to a higher court.

The State Supreme Court, by contrast, is the highest appellate court in the state. It does not conduct trials or hear new evidence but reviews decisions made by lower courts to determine if legal errors were made. The Supreme Court primarily deals with larger legal issues, constitutional matters, and cases that broadly affect the state's legal system.