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COMMON PLEAS COURT & CLERK OF COURTS ANNUAL REPORT JUVENILE DIVISION PROBATE DIVISION GENERAL DIVISION DOMESTIC RELATIONS DIVISION & CLERK OF COURTS MONTGOMERY COUNTY JUVENILE DRUG COURT “Largest Juvenile Drug Court in Ohio” 2015 M o n t g o m e r y C o u n t y , O h i o C O M M O N P L E A S C O U R T

COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs …...2015 Common pleas Court annual report MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center 380 W. Second Street Dayton, Ohio 45422-4131 Hon. nick Kuntz

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Page 1: COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs …...2015 Common pleas Court annual report MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center 380 W. Second Street Dayton, Ohio 45422-4131 Hon. nick Kuntz

COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs

ANNUAL REPORTJuvenile Division

Probate DivisionGeneral Division

Domestic relations Division& clerk of courts

MONTgOMERy COUNTy JUvENiLE DRUg COURT

“largest Juvenile Drug Court in ohio”

2015M

ontgomery County, Ohio

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Page 2: COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs …...2015 Common pleas Court annual report MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center 380 W. Second Street Dayton, Ohio 45422-4131 Hon. nick Kuntz
Page 3: COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs …...2015 Common pleas Court annual report MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center 380 W. Second Street Dayton, Ohio 45422-4131 Hon. nick Kuntz

WHAT IS common pleAS courT & clerk of courTS

Judges of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court take this opportunity to provide you with information about the Court. The Common Pleas Court consists of four divisions that provide timely and equitable service to the citizens of Montgomery County. Each of the divisions has a unique role for a specific area of the judicial process. Collectively, the Court is dedicated to

delivering superior programs in public safety, corrections, rehabilitation, family law, probate, and civil justice. While the Courts are, by law, separate entities, Judges and administrative staff work together on joint programs and projects designed to provide more cost effective solutions for the Courts. These joint efforts reduce expenditures as well as avoid duplication and inefficiency. We appreciate citizen support and endeavor to continue our efforts to provide the best Court system in the State of Ohio.

The Montgomery County Clerk of Courts plays a vital role in serving the interest of justice. It is a complex organization that has the important responsibilities of receiving, docketing, indexing, certifying, and preserving the pleadings, court orders, and other legal documents that are filed with the General Division and Domestic Relations Division of Common Pleas Court, Montgomery

County Municipal Court, and the Second District Court of Appeals. The Auto TitleDivision of the Clerk of Courts issues titles for motor vehicles and processes U.S. passport applications as an authorized Passport Acceptance Agency.

DeScrIpTIon of THe common pleAS courT

There are sixteen Judges in the Common Pleas Court for Montgomery County. The Judges are elected to and conduct their work in one of the four divisions. In some instances, the Presiding Judge will assign a Judge from one division to another for specific cases. This is done to avoid the cost and delay involved with a Judge from another county being assigned to a matter.

The Domestic Relations Division has two Judges empowered by statute to hear all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases, as well as civil domestic violence cases for residents of Montgomery County. In addition, the Court maintains jurisdiction over post-decree matters such as allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, child support, parenting time issues, spousal support, and other related matters.

The Juvenile Division has two Judges with jurisdiction over cases regarding delinquent and unruly children, as well as those youth charged with traffic violations. The Court also makes judicial determinations relating to dependency, neglect, abuse, paternity, child support, and parenting time.

The Probate Division has one Judge with exclusive jurisdiction over the administration of estates and trusts, appointment of guardians for incompetents and estates of minors, adoptions, the issuance of marriage licenses, name changes, commitment of the mentally ill, and various other actions. The Court also approves settlements in wrongful death actions and minor injury claims. The Probate Division is empowered with more than two hundred responsibilities pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code.

The General Division has eleven Judges responsible for civil cases and criminal felony cases. Civil cases involve disputes between parties for such things as unpaid debts, personal injuries from accidents, contract disputes and other conflicts arising out of different types of business transactions. Criminal felony cases are prosecutions for crimes that can result in a prison sentence for the offender. Felony cases are divided by classifications from One to Five with Level One crimes being the most serious offenses.

Montgomery County, O

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CPC • WHAT IS COMMON PLEAS COURT & CLERK OF COURTS

Page 4: COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs …...2015 Common pleas Court annual report MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center 380 W. Second Street Dayton, Ohio 45422-4131 Hon. nick Kuntz

STrucTure of THe oHIo juDIcIAl SySTem

SUPREME COURT OF OHIOChief Justice and six Justices. Court of last resort on all constitutional questions,

and questions of public or general interest. Appeals from Board of Tax Appeals and Public Utilities.

SECONd dISTRICT COURT OF APPEALSThree judge panels, Original jurisdiction in select cases. General Appellate Review of

judgements of Common Pleas Courts, Municipal Courts, and County Courts, and appeals from Board of Tax Appeals.

MONTOgOMERy COUNTy COURT OF COMMON PLEASdOMESTIC RELATIONS dIVISION

Divorces, dissolutions; Legal Separations and annulments. Allocations of parental rights and responsibilities; parenting time; child and spousal support.

gENERAL dIVISIONIn each of 88 counties-Trials in civil and criminal cases; appeals from most administrative agencies. - Unlimited

civil, and felony criminal jurisdiction.

JUVENILE dIVISIONOffenses involving minors, most paternity action, abuse, neglect, dependency and child support.

PROBATE dIVISIONDecedents’ estates, mental illness commitments, guardianships, adoptions and marriage licenses.

COUNTy COURTSTraffic cases, minor offenses, and civil cases up to $3,000. Preliminary jurisdiction in felony matters.

COURT OF CLAIMSCivil cases involving statewide jurisdiction. All suits against the state for personal injury, property damage,

contracts, and wrongful death actions. Three-judge court, if requested.

MUNICIPAL COURTSCivil cases up to $15,000; criminal cases where sentence is one year or less. Preliminary jurisdiction in felony

matters.

MAyORS COURTSMisdemeanor offenses; Traffic cases.

➠➠

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STrucTure of THe oHIo juDIcIAl SySTem

Page 5: COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs …...2015 Common pleas Court annual report MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center 380 W. Second Street Dayton, Ohio 45422-4131 Hon. nick Kuntz

2015 Common pleas Court

annual report

MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center380 W. Second StreetDayton, Ohio 45422-4131

www.mcjcohio.org

Hon. nick Kuntz • AdministrativeJudge •937.225.4125Hon. Anthony Capizzi • Judge •937.496.6602

CourtAdministration •937.225.4267Clerk’sOffice •937.225.4199Legal •937.225.4250DetentionServices •937.496.7324InterventionCenter(24hours) •937.225.4141CourtServices •937.224.3977

Center For ADolesCent serviCes333AccessRoadNewLebanon,Ohio45345 • 937.687.9427

juDge F. W. niCHolAs resiDentiAl treAtMent Center For youtH5581Dayton-LibertyRoadDayton,Ohio45417 • 937.496.7100

juvenile ProbAtion3501MerrimacAve.Dayton,Ohio45405 • 937.225.4162

JuVenIle dIVIsIon

Hon. nICK KuntZ

Administrative judge

Judge Kuntz was elected Montgomery County JuvenileCourt Judge in 1994 and became Administrative Judgein January 2005 and was reelected in November 2012.He began his career forty years ago in theMontgomeryCountyProsecutor’sOffice.Beforebeingelectedas Judgeat Juvenile Court, he held the positions of referee, legaldirectorandcourtadministrator.JudgeKuntzreceivedhisB.A. from theUniversity of Dayton in1965andhis J.D.fromtheUniversityof ToledoCollegeof Lawin1973.HeservesontheJDAIStateExecutiveSteeringCommitteeandisamemberof theMontgomeryCountyCriminalJusticeCouncilcomprisedof Judges,electedofficialsand leadersof criminaljusticeagencieswithinthecounty.

JudgeNickKuntzhasinitiatedandsupportedanumberof veryimportantandinnovativeyouthprogramsthathavebeenof significantbenefittothecommunityandtotheyouththeyhavehelped.ExamplesincludetheRe-EntryProgramforyouthcomingbackfromtheircommitmentattheOhioDepartmentof YouthServices(oneof thefirstinOhio),theStartRightprogramwhichtargetstheparentsandguardiansof children,ingradeskindergartenthroughfourthgrade,whohaveexcessiveabsenteeism,aspecializedIntensiveProbationUnit,theBridgesoutof PovertyInitiativeandtheJuvenileDetentionAlternativeInitiative(JDAI).JudgeKuntzalsofosteredtheDisproportionateMinorityContact(DMC)Projectwhichhasdivertedover741AfricanAmericanyouthfromthejuvenilejusticesystem.

J

UVENILE DIVISION

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ontgomery County, Ohio

CPC•JUvENILEDIvISION 1

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montgomery County JuVenIle Courtdrug Court

drug Court HIstory

The Montgomery County Ohio Juvenile DrugCourt (MCJDC) began in 1998 andwas expandedandenhancedundertheleadershipandguidanceofHon. Judge Anthony Capizzi. MCJDC serves as aspecializeddocketwithintheJuvenileCourttoassistin the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders adverselyaffectedbydrugsandalcohol.Thedocketbeganwitha capacity to serve approximately 50 youth with atarget population of adjudicated, non-violent, drug-involvedoffenders.DrugCourtnowservesmoderateand high risk juvenile offenders with a capacity toserve 180 youth annually. Typically, Drug Courtprovidesintenseservicestoapproximately125youthand their families at anygiven time.Anaverageof162 youth and families per yearwere served in thepastfiveyears(2010–2015).

HON. ANTHONY CAPIZZI • judge

Judge Capizzi was elected Juvenile Court Judge in2004.Inadditiontohisfull-timelegalpracticestartingin1979,heservedasaCityofDaytonCommissionerfrom1986-1998andasanActingJudge forDaytonMunicipal Court from 1998-2003. Judge CapizzireceivedhisB.A.fromSaintBonaventureUniversityandhis J.D. from theUniversityOfDaytonSchoolOfLaw.HeisadmittedtotheOhioandFederalBars.JudgeCapizziisalsoaLeadershipDaytongraduate.

Judge Capizzi serves as Trustee on the SupremeCourt of Ohio Judicial College; on the SupremeCourtAdvisoryCommitteeonChildren,Families&theCourts;andontheAdvisoryCommitteeonCaseManagement.HealsoservesasPast-PresidentoftheOhioAssociationofJuvenileCourtJudges.

Judge Capizzi serves as a Board Member of theNational Council of Juvenile and Family CourtJudges Association and as a Senior Judicial FellowsupervisingReclaimingFuturesjudicialtraining.

JudgeCapizzihasoverseenthegrowthofDrugCourtfromservingapproximately20to115youthperweek.HeledtheinitiativetocreatetheEveningReportingCenter, implemented the Juvenile DetentionAlternative Initiative ( JDAI), initiated the Pro SeServicesprogramtohelpthoseclientsthatchoosetofilelegaldocumentswithoutattorneyrepresentation,andstrengthenedtheCourt’sReclaimingFuturesandNaturalHelpersprogramstobetterserveyouthandtheir families inour community. In addition, JudgeCapizzihasledmovingourcourtintothe21stCenturytechnology-wisetostreamlinethehearingprocessbyprovidingamoreefficientcaseactionprocedure.

Judge Capizzi, known as a workaholic, remainsenthusiasticandenergeticaboutworkingtopromotethewelfareofchildrenandfamilies,ashasbeenhistrademarkthroughouthislegalcareer.

CPC•JUvENILEDIvISION2

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drug Court struCture

Thestructureof MCJDCaffordsanenvironmentinwhichyouthcandevelophealthyattitudesandvaluesnecessaryforreducingsubstanceabuseandrecidivism.Specifically,DrugCourtprovidesjudiciallysupervisedtreatmentandcasemanagement,mandatoryrandomdrug testing, community supervision and the useof appropriate incentives and sanctions. Youth areexpected to follow rules of the home, attend schooldaily, attend all probation meetings, counselingsessions and court hearings, obtain employment (if ageappropriate)andbecomedrugfree.Theprogramis individually paced and includes three phases of advancement.Dependingontheyouth’sperformanceand progress, successful completion averages ninemonths,butsomeyouthmayneedservicesfortwotothreeyears.

Many youth while participating in Drug Court willbe assigned a Natural Helper through the Court’sReclaiming Futures Program. Natural Helpers aretrained citizen volunteers who provide support andconnecttheyouthandtheirfamiliestoopportunitiesforpositivelifechanges.NaturalHelpersmayattendCourthearings,goongrouporindividualoutingswiththe youth andoverall provide apositive adult figurein a youth’s life.Approximately 444 volunteers havebeen trainedasNaturalHelpers since theprogram’sinception,with390totalyouthreferredtoaNaturalHelper. 248 matches were made with 142 non-matches.

drug trendsHistorically, marijuana was the drug of choice andmost youth entering the program showed a historyof low level misdemeanor charges. Today, JudgeCapizzi’s Drug Court looks extensively different.Youth entering drug court since it was expanded in2006havemoderate/highleveloffenseswithprimarilydrugdependencediagnosis.Themaindrugofchoicecontinuestobemarijuanabuthigherleveldrugs,suchasbenzodiazepines,methamphetamines,andfentanylareprevalentasillustratedintheaccompanyingcharts.

From 2010 to 2015, opiate usage increased inMontgomery County Juvenile Court by 15%. In2010, theCourt showed 61 positive opiate tests outof9,891testsconducted.In2015,MCJCshowed124positive opiate tests out of 9,133 tests conducted—an amount doubled from 2010. Other drugs thatincreased significantly include benzodiazepines,methamphetamines, fentanyl and other drugs usedto treat opiate addiction such as buprenorphineand methadone. This data relates to what modernyouth have readily available, both from the streetbutalsofromtheirhome.Withtheincreaseofadultsstruggling with heroin addiction and requiringmedically assisted treatment, more families carrythesetypesofdrugsintheirhomemedicinecabinets,thusincreasingavailabilitytotoday’syouth.

Table 1

2010 2015

Total Positives 306 472

THC 265 356

Amphetamines 25 41

Benzodiazepines 3 26

2010 2015

Table 1

2010 2015

Total Opiates 6 14

Opiates / Morphine 6 9

Opiates 0 1

Oxycodone 0 4

Fentanyl 0 2

2010 2015

1

partners

In addition to the Montgomery County JuvenileCourt collaborative, the partners for Drug Courtinclude: Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration (SAMHSA), The OhioDepartmentofMentalHealthandAddictionServices(OHMHAS),theOhioDepartmentofYouthServices(ODYS),CaseWesternReserveUniversity(CWRU),Reclaiming Futures, The Alcohol, Drug AddictionandMentalHealthServicesBoardforMontgomeryCounty(ADAMHS),theOfficeofJuvenileJusticeandDelinquencyPrevention(OJJDP),SouthCommunity,Inc.andseveralothertreatmentproviders.

CPC•JUvENILEDIvISION 3

Page 8: COMMON PLEAs COURT & CLERK OF COURTs …...2015 Common pleas Court annual report MontgoMery County juvenile justiCe Center 380 W. Second Street Dayton, Ohio 45422-4131 Hon. nick Kuntz

JuVenIle drug Court learnIng CollaBoratIVe proJeCt

OnJune1,2016TheMontgomeryCountyJuvenileCourtwasnamedoneofsixsites toparticipate inanationaldrugcourtproject.

TheNationalCouncilofJuvenileandFamilyCourtJudges(NCJFCJ)selectedMontgomeryCountytobeintheJuvenileDrugCourtLearningCollaborative.“We are really excited and proud to have beenselectedasoneofthesixnewLearningCollaborativesites,”saidMontgomeryCountyJuvenileCourtJudgeAnthonyCapizzi.

The collaborative seeks to build a community ofbest practices among the 400 drug juvenile courtsoperatingnationally.ThesixsiteswillparticipateintheprojectfromnowuntilSeptember30,2018.

“Thesecourtsareimplementingpracticalapproachesthat are based on research and the principalsof adolescent development,” said Jacque vanWormer, Ph.D., Spokane regional criminal justiceadministrator,whoservesasafacultymemberfortheLearningCollaborative Project andwas a reviewerduring the selection process. “The approaches canbe easily replicated [in] courts in order to create ajuveniledrugcourtfield that isdrivenbyscience inordertoimproveoutcomesforyouthandfamilies.”

FundIng

The Court continues to actively seek and receivefunding for the expansion of Drug Court. In thepast three years, the Court received several grantsthrough the following organizations: TreatmentAlternativestoStreetCrime(TASC), theSubstanceAbuse andMental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA) and the Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Current TASCfundsrunfrom2015through2016for$195,369withanadditionalsubsidyof$43,111.SAMHSAfundsrunover a three year period (2013 – 2016)with a totalawardof$985,000infunding.OJJDPfundsarealsoathreeyeargrant(2014–2017)withatotalawardof$526,443.

drug Court program youtH data: 2010 – 2015

yeA

rs

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reF

err

Als

Co

MPl

etio

ns

gr

AD

uAt

es

gr

AD

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e

Per

Cen

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e

2015 176 96 63 41 65%

2014 183 101 62 45 73%

2013 153 136 58 34 59%

2012 144 90 66 34 52%

2011 162 118 78 60 71%

2010 156 110 77 49 64%

totAls 974 651 404 263 Average: 64%

CPC•JUvENILEDIvISION4

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mIssIon statement

We are a Court of law dedicated to the task ofupholding the Constitution and administering thelaws of our land in a just and equal manner. Wemust strive to provide individualized justice forour children and protect our community, carefullybalancing the interests of both. We believe theremust be consequences for violation of the laws andthattreatmentbeginswithlegalconsequences.Theseconsequencesareintendedtoteachoneresponsibilityandaccountabilityfortheiractions;yetourgoalisnottopunishbuttorehabilitatewheneverrehabilitationcanbeeffectedwithoutendangeringthecommunity.

goals:

We are a Juvenile Court, and although protectingchildren iseveryone’s responsibility,wemustbe thecatalystinrallyingtheentirecommunitytowardthatendthroughthefollowing:

• Bealeaderintheeffectiveandcost-efficient utilizationofcommunityresourcesforthe treatmentofchildrenandfamilies;

• Providefortheprotectionofthecommunity throughjustandspeedyconsequences;

• Besensitiveandresponsivetoindividualvictims andtheirfamilies;

• Provideindividualizedjusticefortheoffenders;

• Protecttheabandoned,neglectedandabused andassessandseektreatmentforchildren inneed;

• Holdthoseaccountablewhofailtomeettheir obligationsasparents,guardiansorcustodians;

• Demandhighprofessionalstandardsfor ourselvesandmakeeveryeffortpossibleto demandthesamestandardsfromother governmentagenciesandserviceproviders;

• Wemustpursuethesegoalsvigorouslyand honestlywiththeutmostrespectfortherights ofallourcitizens.

JurIsdICtIon

The jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court extendscountywidetochildrenwhoareallegedtobetrafficoffenders,delinquent,unruly,neglected,dependentorabused,andtheirfamilies.TheCourtalsodeterminesadult misdemeanor criminal cases charging adultswith misdemeanor offenses against children,including contributing to delinquency/unruly, childendangeringandeducationalneglect;hearsmattersofcustody,parentage,childsupport,andvisitation;andhears other miscellaneous areas involving childrenandfamilies,includingtobaccopossessioncasesandjuvenileprotectionordershearings.

2015 aCComplIsHmentsto tHe CItIZens oF montgomery County

During 2015, some of the Montgomery CountyJuvenile Court’s accomplishments and changesincluded:

ImplementatIon oF ClerKs In tHe Courtoom (CIC)In2015,two-thirdsoftheJuvenileCourt’scaseswentfully operational under Clerks in the Courtroom(CIC)withdelinquencyandsupportcases.

CIC is a real time process of streamlining thehearingprocessbyprovidingCourtentriestopartiesimmediately after a court session is ended. CICprovidesanefficientmethodofrecordingkeyaspectsofahearingandallowstheentriestobeelectronicallysignedbythemagistratesandjudges.Thiseliminatesany lengthy processing and waiting time for youthandfamiliestoreceivetheirpaperwork.

truanCy CourtOnMarch 26, 2015, Honorable Judge Kuntz heldthefirstsessionofTruancyCourt.Inamassdocketformat,hearingsareattendedbythefamily,aschoolrepresentativeandtheCourt’sInterventionCenter’sTruancy Court Liaison. The school representativebriefs the Court on prior efforts used to improveattendance andmakes suggestions of sanctions thatwillassisttheyouth/parentinimprovingattendance.

CPC•JUvENILEDIvISION 5

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TheCourt supports these sanctionsby issuing legalorders. The liaison provides case management,identifiesthejuvenile’sand/orthefamily’sneedsandbarriersandlinksthemtoservices.

In2015,TruancyCourtconductedhearingson220truancy referrals. Of those referrals, seventy-fivepercent(75%)wereclosedoutsuccessfully.

preaThePrisonRapeEliminationAct(PREA)isanActof Congress passed in 2003 to protect individualsfromprisonrape.OfficialstandardswerefinalizedbytheDepartmentofJusticein2012.

In2015,theCourtunderwentitsfirstPREAauditatitsCenter forAdolescentServices (CAS)building,asecureresidentialcorrectional/treatmentfacility.TheCourtpassedallrequirementswith100%complianceinPREAstandards.

JuVenIle Court Haalo programIn 2015, HAALO (Helping Adolescents AchieveLong-Term Outcomes) completed one mural inpartnership with K-12 Gallery. The largest muralcompletedbyHAALOtodate,theartworkislocatedat 300 Hamilton Avenue on a wall of the WilsonSign Company building. The artwork spanned animpressive 3,000 square feet and won Keep OhioBeautiful’s“BestCommunityRevitalizationProject”award.

Mural located at 300 Hamilton Avenue on a wall of the Wilson Sign Company building.

CommunIty CleanupsTheCourtcompletedtwocommunityneighborhoodcleanupsinAprilandOctoberof2015.Collectively,work groups removed a total of 12.13 tons of trashfromDaytonneighborhoods.

Partners included Dayton Police, United Againstviolence, residential neighborhood communitymembers, Court staff, local volunteers and Courtyouth.

sBIrtScreening Brief Intervention and Referral toTreatment (SBIRT) is amodel used to identify themostappropriateleveloftreatmentneededforayouth.SBIRT training was completed in 2015 for CourtIntervention Center staff. One Court AssessmentSpecialistbeganusing themodelasapilot in2015.TheuseofSBIRTwillbeexpandedin2016.

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JdaIWe continued our involvement in the JuvenileDetentionAlternativeInitiative( JDAI)inpartnershipwiththeOhioDepartmentofYouthServices(ODYS)and in conjunctionwith sevenotherOhio counties.JDAI’scorevaluesaredesignedtoreducetheneedforyouthtobeinsecuredetention,toreducethelengthof timetheyremain indetentionandtoaddress theissue of disproportionate minority contact whilealwaysbalancingtheneedforpublicsafety.

Since 2009, by utilizing the JDAI core values andsafealternativestodetention,theCourthasreduceddetention admissions by 49% and youth of coloradmissions by 50%. Detention’s average generalpopulation has also been reduced by 49% from 76youthto39youth.

2016 goalsevening reporting Center II (erC)ThecurrentERCIservesasanalternativetosecureconfinementforbothpreandpostadjudicatedyouthwhoscoreasmediumandhighriskthroughtheOhioYouth Assessment Survey (OYAS) tool. The Courtwill expand the services currently offered at theReportingCenterbyaddressingtheneedsoflowriskyouththroughasecondERCbranch(ERCII).

Thegoalsofthecentersaretoreducethenumberofsecure detention days served by youth, to improvelong-term youth success, reduce recidivism ratesand divert low risk youth from penetrating theCourtsystem.Todate, theERCIbranchshowsanoverall rateof71%ofyouthsuccessfullycompletingprogramming.

diversion unit TofurtherdivertyouthwhocomeintocontactwiththeCourtsystem,aDiversionUnitwasplannedundertheleadershipofCourtJudges,Administration,andtheProbationandInterventionCenterdepartments.Using existing Court resources and personnel, theunitofficiallylaunchedonMarch28,2016.

The Diversion Unit will allow for the unofficialhandlingand supervisionof low risk youthchargedwithmisdemeanor and unruly caseswhose offenseswouldnormallybefiledwithanofficial case status.Youth involved in the unit will engage in servicesseparate from other youth scoring as medium orhigh risk and who are on official probation. Thisnew endeavor will not only keep youth risk levelsseparated,but it should reduce thenumberof casesfiledofficiallyintheCourt.Inturn,thiswillreducethenumberofyouthplacedonofficialprobation,thusreducingthenumberofpotentialdetainmentscausedbyviolationsofCourtOrders(vCO’s).

Family treatment CourtThe Juvenile Court plans to address the needs offamilieswhoseparent(s)orcaregiversareexperiencinga substance use and/or mental health disorderwhile undergoing dependency and legal custodyproceedings.

The Family Treatment Court will provide servicesto the parent(s) and youth individually while alsoprovidingwraparoundservices to the familyunitasawhole.Thegoal is to successfully treat theparentor caregiver’s disorder, to address any youth needsand toprevent children frombeingplaced in fosterplacementsbysuccessfullyreunitinghealedfamilies.

project empowerThepurpose of ProjectEmpower is to improve theoverallhealthandwell-beingofyouthinvolvedwiththe Juvenile Court System by enhancing existingprograms and services offered in its DetentionCenter.TheCourt plans to implement and expandAdolescent Skill-Streaming programming throughAggressionReplacementTraining(ART)groupsandtoimplementadolescentWellnessProgramming.Thisprogrammingwillhelptoaddressthesocial,mentalandphysicalhealthandneedsoftheCourt’sdetainedyouth while also working to reduce the number ofdetentiondays and impact long-termyouth success.Theprogrammingwillhelpyouthtransitiontotheirfamiliesandcommunitiesuponreleasebyprovidingskillsandinformationtransferrabletotheirdailylives.

Location of the Evening Reporting Center, Mount Enon Missionary Baptist Church.

CPC•JUvENILEDIvISION 7

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JuVenIle Court serVICes

TheIntervention Center (IC)isa24-hour,7-daysaweeksinglepointofentryforcourtservice(intake,casescreening,assessmentandprocessing)forunrulyanddelinquentyouth,providingeasieraccessforlocallaw enforcement. The Center coordinates neededservicesandprovidesongoingfollow-upforyouthandtheir families to divert them from the official courtsystem.Withtheon-sitesupportofoutsideagenciessuch asCaring forKids, a SouthCommunity, Inc.program,whichconductscomprehensiveassessmentsonyouth,andtheChildrenServicesDivisionoftheMontgomeryCountyDepartmentofJobandFamilyServices (CSD/MCDJFS),theCentercanprovideatriageforyouthandtheir familiesneedingmore in-depthintervention.In2015,2,746BehavioralHealthScreens(BHS)and527comprehensivementalhealthand drug assessments were completed by Caringfor Kids, a South Community Inc. program. ICconducted1,104administrativehearingsonunofficialcasesanddiverted415casestotheDaytonMediationCenter to find meaningful resolution for partiesoutsideofcourtinvolvement.

IC provides electronic monitoring for youth andfamiliesreleasedinlieuofdetentionandalsohousesthe Care Coordination Team (CCT), which worksclosely with children, 10 years of age and younger,their families and the Disproportionate MinorityContact Diversion Program (DMC/DP). During2015,ICprovidedelectronicmonitoringfor723cases.1 TheCCTserved259youthin2015.Inaddition,166youthsuccessfullycompletedtheDMC/DPin2015.

1 Thisnumberdoesnotinclude36youthonEHMPattheendof2015whocompletedtheprogramin2016.

The Intervention Center’s vision testing and examination area.

The Court Services Office is responsible forprocessingallofficialfilingsfortheCourt.Documentsrequiring filing are received via mail or in personfromseveral sources. These sources includeprivatecitizens, law enforcement, attorneys representingprivate or agency parties, appointed counsel, andagencies themselves. The Clerk’s Office processesDelinquency,Unruly,Tobacco,Traffic,Petitions forProtectionOrders(wheretherespondentisjuvenile),Adult Misdemeanor, Parentage, Support, Custody,Dependency, Neglect, Abuse, Permanent Custody,visitation, U.I.F.S.A., Judicial Consent Cases,Grandparent Powers of Attorney, GrandparentCaretakerAuthorizationAffidavits,Objections,OhioDepartment of Youth Service Releases / Re-EntryFilings, Certifications, Transfers and Appeals. Aseparate journal is maintained to docket AdoptionPlacement Agreements, Permanent Surrenders,and Fingerprinting and Photographing MotionsandEntriesaswellasJuvenileCourtappointments,resignationsandterminations.

Priortothefirsthearing,DeputyClerksfiletheinitialdocumentationof thecase. This includes the time-stamping and journalizing of the documents in theCourt’s casemanagement system,assigninga JudgeandMagistratetothecase,andassigningacasenumberormotionsuffix.Allcomplaints,motionsandentriesare then imaged upon journalizing the document.Service is prepared to1) assure legalnotification toparties of upcoming hearings; 2) notify persons ofrequireddocumentationormandatoryappearanceatahearing;or3)restrainordetainapersoninorderfor justice to be served. Service documents includesummons, subpoenas, warrants, capias’, orders ofapprehension,andtemporaryrestrainingorders(usedinsupportcasesonly).Thesedocumentsarepreparedupon the Judge orMagistrate’s setting the hearingon the court docket and are tracked for perfectionor failure. Clerks also perform several on-going,case processing responsibilities. Service productionmentionedabovemaybenecessaryatseveralpointsinanopencase.

Thereceiptorfailureofserviceisalsojournalizedinthecourt’sdocket,alongwithallofficialdocumentsinacase,includingallJudges’andMagistrates’entriesandorders.OtherClerks’dutiesincludemailingthemajorityofofficialcasedocumentsfortheCourtandactingasareceivingareaforpaymentsoffilingfees,bonds, court costs, fines and restitution.Clerks alsomaintain the ‘hard-copy’ case files for the Court,complete agency reporting for traffic violations,fingerprints collected, as well as the number ofapplicationsforattorneysbyindigentpartiesandthewaiverofanyfeefortheapplication.Recordrequest

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for private citizens, judicial agencies and militaryarecompleteddaily.Additionally, theChiefDeputywilltestifyregardingtheCourt’srecordforcriminalnon-supportcasesorinvenueswhensubpoenaedandappropriate.

Detention Services is a 108-bed multipurposefacility,whichincludesan48-bedshort-termdetentionthathouses 36males and12 females pending courtdispositionor transfer to another jurisdiction, a 24-bedresidentialtreatmentoption(JCAREART/STP)2 forboyswhomaytypicallyhavebeencommittedtotheOhioDepartment of Youth Services and a 36-bedshort-termcorrectionalhigh-impactinterventionprogram. These programs offer comprehensiveprogramming (educational programming andrecreational, therapeutic group and community-sponsored activities) for youth in a safe and secureenvironment, while protecting the community. 895boys and 335 girls were detained in Detention in2015and465boysand150girlswereservedintheCorrectionsProgramin2015.64boyswereservedintheresidentialtreatmentprogram( JCARE/ART)in2015and21boyswereservedintheJCARE/STPsexoffender treatment program.TheDetentionCenteralso housed 14 youth certified to the adult courtpendingtheircaseresolutionsasadults.

The Nicholas Residential Treatment Center for Youth (NRTC):NRTCisa24-hour,non-secureresidential treatment center with a 22 bed capacitythat provides behavioral interventions for Court-involvedboys,ages11to17.Theprogramgenerally

takes6-9monthstocomplete,basedontheprogressandcomplianceofeachyouth.While involvedwiththe program, these youth can expect to engage infamily, individual and group counseling, as well ascommunityresources,school,athleticsandotherpro-socialactivities.52youthreceivedneededtreatmentatNRTCduring2015.

The Center for Adolescent Services (CAS):CASwascompletedinthefallof2000andofficiallydedicated onMay 16, 2001. The facility is locatedin thevillage ofNew Lebanon,Ohio and is a co-educationalsecureresidentialcorrectional/treatmentfacility.CASiscurrentlyfundedtoserve25boysand25 girls. Fifteen of these girls come from referralsthrough the Ohio Department of Youth Services(ODYS)facility.During2015,CASservedatotalof113youth(54boysand59girls).

Thishighlystructuredprogramprovidesasafeandsecure learning environment for youth adjudicatedof felony offenses. Youth participate in a cognitive-behavioral treatment program stressing pro-socialskills,self-discipline,andpersonalresponsibility.

The Detention Services medical and treatment area.

2 JuvenileCognitiveAlternativeRehabilitativeEffort/AggressionReplacement Training and Juvenile Cognitive AlternativeRehabilitativeEffort/SpecializedTreatmentProgram.

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This unit also uses its’ officers in the LearningIndependence and Family Empowerment(LIFE) Program and the JCARE/STPProgram. Approximately 883 youth were underprobation supervision during 2015. The averagecaseloadforaprobationofficerin2015was23youth.

Drug Court: Presided over by Judge AnthonyCapizzi,DrugCourtisaspecializeddockettoassistintherehabilitationofjuvenileoffenderswhohavebeenadverselyaffectedbydrugsandalcohol.Itprovidesintensiveinterventionandsupervisionoftheseyouth,ages 13 – 17,whohavebeen screened and assessedtobeinneedofalcohol/drugtreatment.DrugCourtservedatotalof176youthduring2015.Atotalof41youthsuccessfullygraduatedDrugCourtin2015.

Citizens Review Board (CRB):Isanindependentarm of the Court to monitor the permanencyplanning efforts for children adjudicated abused,neglected and dependent served by MontgomeryCounty Job and Family Services-Children ServiceDivision(MCJFS-CSD).CRBconducts6monthcaseplanningmonitoringreviewsofyouthonprobation,under the care and control of the Court in out-of-home placement. The Board conducts a portion ofthe Courts Annual Review Hearings for childrenplacedinMCJFS-CSDPermanentCustodyandorinaPlannedPermanentLivingArrangement.In2015CRBmonitoredaround1,568familieswithatotalof3,921 children served byMCJFS-CSD.3 TheCRBconducted 33 Formal Review Board meetings and300AnnualCourtReviewHearings.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA): Trains and supervises adult volunteers to serve asGuardiansAdLitem(GAL)forneglected,dependentand abused children. These volunteers conductindependent investigations, provide written reportstotheCourtandmonitorthechild’scaseas longasit remains in the court system. In 2015, 85 CASAvolunteersserved325childrenin201families.

3 TheseNumbers include some familieswho carried over from2014.

Treatment modules target thinking patterns,substance abuse, relapse prevention, understandingone’spersonal,socialandfamilyhistory,developingnewhabitsofthoughtandaction,valuesexplorationand clarification, restitution and victim empathy.Treatment is delivered through a combination ofindividual,groupandfamilycounseling.Inaddition,youth must participate actively in a year-roundacademicprogram inwhichcredits are earnedandtransferred to their permanent academic record.Additional services provided for all youth includemedical and health services, daily recreation, foodservices, vision screening, dental services, custodialservices,andaprogramofaftercare.

The average length of treatment is 3.77 monthsdependingupontheneedsandresponsivenessofeachyouth. Prior to release eachMontgomery Countyyouthentersa transitionperiodduringwhichheorshespendsincreasingperiodsoftimeathome.Whenreleased, all youth are required to participate inaftercareserviceswiththeProbationDepartment.

Probation Services:Provides treatmentplanningandsupervisionofCourtorderedyouthplacedundercommunitycorrections.ProbationServicesoperatesfrom a strength-based perspective in providingsupervision and support. The strength-basedapproachtosupervisiondemandsadifferentwayoflookingat individuals, families and the community.The Probation Department is organized into eightunits:GeographicalUnits I, IIandIII thatprovidesupervision and monitoring; Resource PlanningProgram that provides out-of-home placementand supervision and JCARE/ART programming;Community Based Services that provides worktherapy;theJuvenileCourtWorkProgram( JCWP);DrugCourt/TreatmentAlternativestoStreetCrime(TASC); and the Intensive Probation ServicesUnitthatprovidesintensivesupervision.

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2013 - 2015 statIstICsADULT MISDEMEANOR COMPLAINTS* 2013 2014 2015

TOTAL 548 720 657*Complaints include such reasons as parental failure to send children to school/educational neglect, child

endangerment, contributing to delinquency or unruly offenses, etc.

Start Right:Under the direction ofMagistrateGregory Scott, the StartRight programhandles ParentalFailure toSendandContributing toEducationalNeglect referrals onparentswhose children, kindergartenthrough4thgrade,haveexcessiveschoolabsenteeismorwhofailtoenrollachildinschool.Parentsarepluggedintocommunityprogrammingtohelpsolvetheproblemsthesefamiliesarefacing.In2015,StartRightreceived449 cases and served 849 children.The StartRight Program closed 441 cases, ofwhich 87%were closedsuccessfully.

Reclaiming Futures:WiththeactiveleadershipofJudgeNickKuntzandJudgeAnthonyCapizzi,ReclaimingFutureshasbeenbringingtogethercourtstaff,treatmentproviders,families,communitypartnersandvolunteerstoaddresstheneedsofcourt-involvedyouthwithsubstanceabusechallenges.OneofitssuccessfulcomponentsistheNaturalHelpersProgram.NaturalHelpersaretrainedcitizenvolunteerswhoprovidesupportandconnecttheyouthandtheirfamiliestoopportunitiesforpositivelifechanges. Theywork inpartnershipwithyouth, familyandprofessionals. In2015,ReclaimingFutures trained67 Natural Helpers and retained 82 Natural Helpers.Together,theyserved126youth.

A recent group of trained, volunteer Natural Helpers.

CIVIl ComplaInts on adults 2013 2014 2015

Parentage 848 758 509

SUPPORT 5,147 4,857 4,780

U.I.F.S.A.** 353 191 177

total 6,348 5,806 5,466

**uniform inter-state Family support Act pertains to out-of-state support complaints.

JuVenIle reFerrals 2013 2014 2015

ABUSE,DEPENDENCY&NEGLECT 1,077 854 820

UNRULY 2,895 2,791 2,767

TOBACCO 106 98 70

TRAFFIC 1,889 1,947 1,965

DELINqUENCY 6,556 6,037 6,097

CUSTODYRELATED 3,778 3,663 3,785

MISCELLANEOUS 532 538 437

total 16,833 15,928 15,941

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1

2015 JuVenIle CHarges

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2015 Common pleas Court

annual report

MontgoMery County CourtS BuILDIng41 N. Perry Street, 2nd FloorDayton, Ohio 45422-2155

www.mcohio.org/probate

Hon. Alice o. McCollum AdministrativeJudge • 937.225.4552

SourCeSAdoptions • 937.224.8498Clerk’sDepartment •937.225.4640CourtAdministrator •937.225.4625Marriage •937.225.4656

Chief Magistrate DavidFarmer •937.225.4609

Magistrates JosephGallagher •937.225.4601 ArvinMiller •937.225.4490 DavidWhite •937.225.4608

proBate division

Hon. aliCe o. mCCollumAdministrative Judge

Judge Alice O. McCollum is the first woman to serve on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Probate Division, having been first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2008 and 2014. Prior to sitting on the bench in the Probate Division, she was the first woman elected to the Dayton Municipal Court bench where she served for 24 years. Judge McCollum received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati, College of Law after graduating from the university of north Carolina at Greensboro with a B.A. in Mathematics. Her affiliations with professional organizations include the Dayton Bar Association (past President); the Thurgood Marshall Law Society (past President); Dispute Resolution Commission; and the National Association of Women Judges. Judge McCollum has served on many community boards including; Sinclair Community College Legal Assisting Advisory Board; Children’s Medical Center, the Victoria theatre Association and the united theological Seminary.

P

ROBATE DIVISION

M

ontgomery County, Ohio

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mission statement

• HiredLicensedSocialWorker • receivedCourttechnologyGrantfromthe Supreme Court of Ohio to upgrade three audio visualcourtrooms • beganimplementationofnewrulesof SuperintendenceforGuardianshipcases, includingtrainingofguardians • UpdatedLocalrules

theMontgomeryCountyProbateCourt isdedicatedtoresolvingmattersanddisputesfairlyandefficiently.theCourtaccomplishesthismissionby:

• offeringeasyaccesstotheCourtforpromptproblemresolution; • Providingqualityandinnovativeservicestothepublic; • ensuringefficientcasemanagementbyaprofessionalandcourteousstaff;and • Upholdingthelawanddeliveringjusticeinanequitableandjustmanner.

2015 aCComplisHments

JudiCial department

JuDge MCCoLLuM

the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of ohio,Maureen o’Connor presented Judge McCollumwith a check for $48,385.00. the Court received atechnologyGranttoupgradethreeaudiovisualcourtroom recording systems.the audio visual recordingsystemcreatesapermanentrecordofthehearings.

theJudgeof theProbateCourtshallbeassignedallcasescomingbeforetheCourt.theJudgeischargedwith the assignment and division of the work of thedepartmentsandwiththeemploymentandsupervisionofallpersonneloftheProbateCourt.

• CoordinatewithCountytelecommunications Departmenttoinstallanewtelephonesystem • begine-filingsystemoncivilcases • Createvolunteerguardianshipprogram and training • CreateInternshipprogramwithlocaluniversities forsocialworkinterns • DevelopaGuardianshipDepartmenttofully implementSup.rule66

2016 Goals

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MAgIStrAteS

Four Magistrates assist the Judge in handling the case load. A magistrate is an attorney appointedbytheCourtwhohearscasesreferredbytheJudge.Magistrates hear and consider cases in the samemanner as a judge. All magistrates’ decisions arereviewedandapprovedbytheJudge.Magistratesareavailable toanswerprocedural andotherquestions,

butmay not discuss a casewith either a litigant orattorney in the absence of the other party, or thatparty’sattorneytothecase.

Court operations department

Court ADMInIStrAtor

the Judge appoints theCourtAdministrator. theAdministratormanagesandcoordinatestheoperationsandnonlegalstaffoftheCourt. theAdministratoris responsible for the general administration andsupervisionof all support services for theCourt. Inaddition, the Court Administrator supervises theimplementation of all special projects the courtmay undertake. the Court Administrator utilizesleadership andmanagement skills to create a high-performance work environment for court staff.the Administrator reviews data and informationfor planning purposes, evaluates organizationaleffectiveness, reviews cost and impact analysis, andestablishes time linesandbenchmarksof standards.the Administrator handles attorney, agency andpublic concerns and complaints regarding courtproceedings.theCourtAdministratoralsoactsasaliaisonbetweentheJudgeandstaff.

FInAnCe

the Finance Department is responsible for thepreparation and maintenance of budgets, financialreporting and analysis, support for financial and

analyticalneedsofothercourtdepartments,controlover all payments and purchasing, and continualmonitoringofallaspectsoffinancefortheCourt.

MAnAgeMent oF InForMAtIon SySteMS

the M.I.S. Department provides data processingservices and office automation to the entire staffof the Probate Court in order to provide a more

efficient court for the public. the departmentadministers and maintains a Windows network,granting Network users appropriate permissionsand access rights to a variety of applications. thedepartmentupgradeshardwareandsoftware,installsnew hardware and software, and troubleshootsany computer-related problems users may have.

CLerkS oFFICe

theClerksofficemaintainsandmakesavailabletothepublicthehard-copyrecordsofallcasefilesfortheProbateCourt.theClerksofficeassistscustomersattheCourtandoverthetelephone.theClerksofficecollectsanycostsorfeesrequired,issuesreceipts,andpoststhecollectedmonies.Appropriateinformation

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2013-2015 Cases Filed & marriaGe statistiCs

forcasefilesisdocketedinatimelymanner,includingentering information in the computer system andissuingappropriatenotices.Documentsarescannedfor the case file database which is available online.Further duties of the office include providing basiccase management information and completingstatisticalreporting.

MArrIAge DePArtMent

the Marriage Department’s principal function isto issue marriage licenses and complete marriagecertificates.Furtherdutiesincludeprovidingstatisticalreportingconcerningcasemanagement.

ADoPtIon DePArtMent

one of the most rewarding responsibilities of theProbateCourt istomakesureachildisplacedinasafe, loving, and permanent home. the AdoptionDepartment serves a dual function. the primaryfunction is to provide case management for theadoption cases. Adoption filings are accepted bythis Department, reviewed, and set for hearings asappropriate. All adoption proceedings and recordsare confidential. every year the Court participates

in National Adoption Day. the theme for the2015 was the Minions.the theme embracedfamily ideals suchas love, security andacceptance. the entireCourt participates in theNational Adoption Day agenda. the secondaryfunction is that of a casemanagement specialistto the magistrates. the case management

specialist duties require considerable knowledge ofoffice, secretarial, and administrative practices andprocedures. they maintain court orders, reports,forms, correspondence, and final decisions by themagistrates and Judge.

MentAL HeALtH

ItistheresponsibilityoftheProbateCourttooverseethe involuntary commitment process of individualswhoareallegedtobementallyillormentallyretarded,whileprotectingtheirrightsandensuringtheyreceivetreatmentintheleastrestrictiveenvironment.

theCourtconductshearingsatvarioushospitalsandothermentalhealth facilities throughout thecountytodetermineifanindividualrequireshospitalization.

theCourtconductshearingsatvarioushospitalsandothermentalhealth facilities throughout thecountytodetermineifanindividualrequireshospitalization.theCourt will appoint an attorney for a person ifit appears the alleged mentally ill/mentally retarded personisindigent.Doctors,psychologistsandotherexperts may also be appointed as required. Allproceedingsandrecordsareconfidential.

2013 2014 2015Cases Filed statistiCs

Adoptions 158 179 134estates 2,515 2,309 2,361Guardianships 378 391 310MentalHealth 550 528 562Miscellaneous 402 452 423

2013 2014 2015marriaGe statistiCs

LicensesIssued 3,073 3,167 3,345MarriageCertificates 11,375 11,218 11,895

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reSourCeS SenIor SerVICeS SeniorresourceConnection •937.223.8246 AdultProtectiveServices •937.225.4529

AreA AgenCy oF AgIng www.info4seniors.org

SenIor reSourCe ConneCtIon www.seniorresourceconnection.org

Pro SenIorS www.proseniors.org

reSourCeSAttorney reFerrALS DaytonbarAssociation •937.222.7902 DaytonbarAssociation Lawyerreferral •937.222.6102 ohioStatebarAssociation •614.421.2121

guArDIAnSHIP reFerrALS Lifeessentials •937.586.0545 AdultProtectiveServices •937.225.4906 Advocacy ProtectiveServices •937.743.4400

MentAL HeALtH ADAMHSboard •937.443.0416 Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service Board DDS-DevelopmentalDisabilitiesServices •937.837.9200

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2015 Common pleas Court

annual report

MontgoMery County Courts Building41 N. Perry Street, 2nd FloorDayton, Ohio 45422-2155

www.montcourt.org

reiBold Building117 S. Main Street, 7th, 8th and 10th FloorDayton, Ohio 45422

s.t.o.p.1901 S. Gettysburg Ave.Dayton, Ohio 45408

Hon. Michael l. tucker •AdministrativeJudgeHon.Barbara p. gorman •PresidingJudgeHon. dennis J. langerHon. Mary Katherine Huffman Hon. gregory F. singerHon. timothy n. o’ConnellHon. Mary WisemanHon. steven K. dankofHon. dennis J. AdkinsHon. Michael W. Krumholtz

Hon. richard s. skelton

General division

Hon. miCHael l. tuCKerAdministrative Judge

Judge Tucker was elected to thebench in 2001. He received hisundergraduatedegreefromWrightStateUniversityandhislawdegreefromtheUniversityofDayton.

He was in the private practice oflaw from 1980-2000 where theemphasis of his work was in civillitigation.

Judge Tucker is a member of theOhioandDaytonBarAssociations,and the Carl D. Kessler Inns of Court.

GENERAL DIVISION

M

ontgomery County, Ohio

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2015 QuiCK faCts

Criminal JustiCe serviCes

TheDivisionofCriminalJusticeServicesprovidesforpublic safety through the supervisionof offenders onprobationwithintheMontgomeryCountycommunity.

pupilloMetry drug And AlCoHol testing

InMay2010theDivisionofCriminalJusticeServicesimplemented pupillometrymonitoring for drugs andalcohol use through the use of the PassPoint testingsystem.Offendersarerequiredtosubmittothisnon-invasivetestuponeachandeveryvisittoaprobationofficer. The need for frequent monitoring to deterdrugandalcoholusehasbeenlistedasabestpracticeby the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI). An important feature of the PassPoint system is thatit detects drug or alcohol abuse immediately. Theimplementationofthepupillometrytestingequipmentwasaccomplishedwithprobationservicefeespaidbyoffendersasaconditionoftheirprobation.Notaxpayerfundswere used for the purchase of this equipment.

personnelJudges 11

Magistrates 2Judicial Staff 33

Court Support Staff 130Total General Division Staff 176

BudGet $12,904,056

Case aCtivityCivil Filings 7,385

Criminal Filings 4,017Probation-Offenders Supervised 8,305

Investigations - Bonds, PSI, Other 3,252total Case activities 22,959

Community serviCe WorK

Communityserviceworkprovidesthecourtwithanalternativetosentencingbyorderingthedefendanttocompleteamaximumof500hoursofcommunityservice work. The Division of Criminal JusticeServices places offenders in nonprofit agencies inMontgomery County to perform service work,and offenders are often placed side-by-side withcommunity group and county agency employees,savingtaxpayersthousandsofdollars.

2015 CoMMunity serViCe WorK ACCoMplisHMents• 1,676probationersparticipatedincommunity servicework;• 60,712hoursofserviceworkwereprovided;• $492,517savingstocountyandlocalnonprofit agencies;• 20agenciesacceptedcommunityservice workersfromtheDivisionofCriminal JusticeServices.

restitution to viCtims

Inanefforttoincreasecollectionsandreimbursementfor victims of crime, the Montgomery CountyCommonPleasCourtjudgesareusingaprovisionina1995OhioCrimeBilltoauthorizerestitutionforvictimstobecollectedbeforefinesandcourtcostsarepaid.InSeptember1995thefirstpaymentsmadebyprobationersweredesignated forreimbursement tothevictim.ThismethodisuniquetoMontgomeryCounty and ensures victimsare compensatedfirst. In2015,$551,279was collectedanddistributed tovictimsofcrimeinMontgomeryCounty.

ACCreditAtionTheCourt has supported independent evaluationsof the Division of Criminal Justices Services andthe S.T.O.P. program in order to provide qualitycriminaljusticeservicestotheMontgomeryCountycommunity.

2015 CaseloadCivil Criminal totAl

New Cases 7,385 4,017 11,402Cases Disposed of 5,070 3,252 8,322

Pending 12-31-15 2,315 765 3,080

2015 drug And AlCoHol ACCoMplisHMents• 15,527drugtestswereperformedthateliminated theuseofasimilarnumberofurineteststhattake significantlylongertocomplete;• Neitherthetestprocess,noritsresults,canbe adulteratedbytheoffender;• Thesystemreducesstafftimepreviouslyspenton collectingurinesamples;• TheProbationOfficerreceivesimmediate electronicnotificationeverytimetheirclientis tested.

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The Division of Criminal Justice Services has beenaccreditedbytheAmericanCorrectionalAssociation/Commission on Accreditation for Corrections since1987.Weareoneoftheoldestaccrediteddepartmentsin the country and the first county probationdepartment accredited in Ohio. We are accreditedunder the Performance-Based Standards for AdultProbationandParoleFieldService.

The S.T.O.P. program was accredited on January31, 2011, under the Performance-Based Standardsfor Adult Community Residential Services, FourthEdition, and the program is planning to be re-accreditedin2016inthenewfacility.

The Division’s Intensive Supervision Program,established in 1984, and the Chemical OffenderProgram, both begun in 1990, have maintainedsuccessful and consistent annual audits by theOhioDepartmentofRehabilitationandCorrections.

dna ColleCtion

InFebruary2005theOhioGeneralAssemblypassedHouse Bill 525 which provided for the collection ofDNA samples from convicted felons and personsconvicted of certainmisdemeanors. Since February2005 probation staff of the General Division hascollectedatotalof16,394DNAsamples;542ofthosesampleswerecollectedin2005.DNAsamplesprovidelawenforcementaveryvaluabletoolinsolvingcrimesandclosingcases.

druG Court

In2005theGovernmentAccountabilityOfficeissueda report regarding the effects of adult criminal drugcourts.At that time,23programswereevaluatedforeffectiveness and efficiency. The study concludedthat drug courts can significantly reduce crime in acommunity.TheGeneralDivisionoftheMontgomeryCounty Common Pleas Court has operated a drugcourtsince1996.

Drugcourtsareaverygoodexampleofaneffectiveproblem-solvingapproachtodealingwithdrug-abusingoffenders in the judicial system. Drug court closelymonitorsthedefendant’sprogresstowardsobrietyandrecovery through ongoing treatment, frequent drugtesting,regularmandatorycourtappearances,andtheuseofabroadrangeofimmediately-imposedsanctionsandincentivestofosterbehaviorchange.

Our drug court judges collaborate with othertraditional court participants (prosecutors, defensecounsel, treatment providers, probation officers)whoseroleshavebeensubstantiallymodified,butnotrelinquished,intheinterestofhelpingdefendantsdealwith their addiction and, consequently, discontinuetheircriminalbehavior.

Withatraditionalsentence,anoffendermaysimplyspend time in jail as a punishment. Drug courtparticipants are required to attend treatment andshowprogress in recovery,aswellaspayanyfinesandcoststhatmaybeimposedbytheCourt.Sinceits inception, 2,016 offenders have successfullycompleted the General Division’s Drug Courtprogram.

2015 drug Court ACCoMplisHMents• 52offenderswereprovidedwiththenecessary toolstoleadalifefreeofdrugsandalcohol, successfullycompletingallDrugCourt sanctions;• Only12offendersservedprisonsentencesfor failingtomeettherequirementsplacedupon themindrugcourt.

Women’s tHerapeutiC Court (WtC)

On June 17, 2014, this specialized docket began.It was designed to provide female offenders withthe opportunity to address gender specific lifeissues,whileaddress theconditionsorderedby thesentencingjudge.

2015 WtC ACCoMplisHMents• 46offenderswereprovidedwiththenecessary toolstoleadalifefreeofdrugsandalcohol, successfullycompletingallWTCsanctions;• 23offendersservedprisonsentencesforfailing tomeettherequirementsplaceduponthemin WTC.

veterans treatment Court

On November 20, 2013, this specialized docketbegan.Itwasdesignedtoprovideaddresschemicaldependency and mental health issues of veteransthrough regular court appearances and treatmentplans specifically created for each veterans. Arelationship has been developed with VeteransServicestoprovidementorsfortheoffenderstoassistthemintheirjourneywithprobationandrecovery.

2015 VeterAns treAtMent Court ACCoMplisHMents • 16offenderswereprovidedwiththenecessary toolstoleadalifefreeofdrugsandalcohol, successfullycompletingallsanctions;• Onlytwooffendersservedprisonsentencesfor failingtomeettherequirements.

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non support Court

The General Division’s Non Support Court beganoperating in 2004. Traditionally, the only sanctiona judge could imposewas a jail sentence. However,taking away a parent’s ability towork and pay theirdebt does not benefit the children. Non SupportCourtutilizedvariousmethods, includingshort-termjailsentences,tomotivateanoffendertomeethis/herfinancialobligations.TheNonSupportcourtceasedoperationsinDecember2015.

2015 non support Court ACCoMplisHMents • $452,968inchildsupportwascollected; • 62defendantsweresuccessfullyterminated fromprobation; • NonSupportcourtparticipantseithergain employmentorarereferredforemployment assistanceatGoodwill,theJobCenter,or theRe-EntryProgram. • TheCourtusesvarioustoolstodeterminethe appropriatesentencingalternative.Presentence Investigation(PSI)andInterventioninLieuof Conviction(ILC)reportsprovidethejudges withinnovativesentencingalternativesbased onindividualneeds,treatmentoptions,a supervisionplan,andinputfromthevictim.

seCure transitional offender proGram (s.t.o.p.)

TheSecureTransitionalOffenderProgram(S.T.O.P.)isanalternativeresidentialsanctionthatdivertsfelonyoffenders from the Montgomery County Jail. It isan intensive education and cognitive program thatchallenges offenders to make permanent changesin their behavior and, consequently, their lives.Programming,counseling,andeducationareprovidedbytheCourt’sDepartmentofCriminalJusticeServicesandmanycommunityvolunteers.

2015 s.t.o.p. ACCoMplisHMents • InOctober2015,theS.T.O.P.facilitybegan acceptingfemaleoffenders: • 464offendersweresentencedandacceptedinto theS.T.O.Pprogram; • 393offenderssuccessfullycompletedthe S.T.O.P.program; • 48,856hoursofcommunityserviceworkwas performedbyS.T.O.P.participants;

presentenCe investiGation and intervention in lieu of ConviCtion reports

2015 psi/ilC ACCoMplisHMents • 1,815PresentenceSentenceInvestigationreports werecompleted; • 829InterventionInLieuofConvictionreports werecompleted.

Court serviCesTheCourtServicesDivisionprovidesanarrayof direct services to the Court which includescasemanagement,alternativedisputeresolutionprograms, bond investigation and pretrialsupervision, andmanagement of the evidenceroom.

pretrial serviCes

TheDepartmentofPretrialServicesoftheGeneralDivision screens and supervises defendants incriminal cases before their cases are adjudicated.The right to reasonable bail before trial is aconstitutionalguaranteethatreinforcestheconceptof“innocentuntilprovenguilty.”Whenacriminaldefendant is provided pretrial supervision bythe court, public safety is enhanced aswell as thereliability of the Defendant’s appearing in court.Additionally,considerabletaxpayerfundsaresavedbecausethedefendant isnothoused in theCountyjail. In2015, theNationalInstituteofCorrections(NIC)conductedasitevisittoPretrialServices,anddeterminedthatthedepartmentissoundandhigh-functioning.

2015 pretriAl serViCes ACCoMplisHMents • 4,820felonydefendantswerescreened;of those,847weresupervisedbyPretrialServices priortotrial; • 2,214misdemeanordefendantswerescreened; ofthose,306weresupervisedbyPretrial Servicespriortotrial; • $1,125,362incostsavingsfortaxpayersin 2015becausedefendantsawaitingtrialwere nothousedintheMontgomeryCountyJail; • 4,004jailtimecreditcalculationswere completed; • 540SealingofRecordReportswere completed; • 13CertificateofQualificationofEmployment Reportswerecompleted; • 1,782urinalyseswereconducted; • CompletedNationalInstituteofCorrections TechnicalAssistancesitevisit; • SuccessfullycompletedCCAauditwitha 100%compliancerate.

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stalKinG and sexually oriented offense proteCtion order (ssoopo) proGram

The Stalking and Sexually Oriented OffenseProtectionOrder (SSOOPO)programprovides vitalservices to stalking victims and their families. Theoverwhelmingmajorityofcitizenswhoseekprotectionordersdonothavethebenefitoflegalcounselandtheyarenotfamiliarwiththelegalsystem.TheSSOOPOprogramprovidesassistance to thosecitizens seekingprotection orders to ensure that they are in theappropriatejurisdictionandthatpetitionsforreliefcanbereviewedbythecourtinatimelymanner.

2015 ssoopo progrAM ACCoMplisHMents • 1,184petitionersassistedinseekingaprotection order; • 521petitionsforprotectionordersfiled; • 262exparteordersweregranted.

alternative dispute resolution proGram (adr)

TheAlternativeDisputeResolution (ADR) programwasestablishedtoassistourjudgeswiththechallengesof an ever-increasing caseload. The goal of thisprogramistoresolvelegaldisputesinamannerwhichis more economical and amicable than trial. TheCourt continues to expand itspoolofmediators andthe availablepractice areas that themediators bringto theprocess. Theparties to themediationprocessarepermittedtochoosetheirmediatorsfromalistthathas been placed online by theCourt. TheGeneralDivision maintains the list of independent qualifiedmediatorstoconductmediationconferences.In2015ourmediators accepted320cases tomediate,withasettlementrateof63percent.

manaGement information systems (mis)The Management Information System Department(i.e.,InformationTechnology)oftheGeneralDivisionprovidesthefollowingservices:

w ITStrategicPlanning w ProcurementandManagementofHardware, Software,&MaintenanceContracts w ServiceDeskManagement(HelpDesk) w NetworkAdministration w ReportCreationandMaintenance w Change,Patch,ReleaseManagementofall hardwareandsoftware

w FunctionalandProjectManagement w CourtroomAutomationandMaintenance w Software Deployment, maintenance w WebsitesDevelopmentandmaintenance w Managesandsupportscriticalapplications • CaseandJuryManagement • E-mail • FileandPrint • DocumentManagement • Evidencetracking w CourtWI-FiandNetworkServices w ITSecurity w Managementtheprocessforthecourt’ssealing of records w VideoConferencing w RemoteAccess

2015 Mis ACCoMplisHMents • MediatorPanelMembers:Tosupportthe enhancedmediatorprogram,providea webpagecontaininginformationincluding Mediator bios. • AgeandCondition(Evergreening)Plan:A five-yearplanwasdevelopedforensuring up-to-dateandfullysupportedtechnology throughout the Court. • TechnologyEquipmentAudit:Reviewall Courttechnologyandensureitisincluded infutureevergreeningplans. • ITBudget:DevelopanongoingITbudget withsupportingfundstoensureallfuture Courttechnologyneedsaremet. • SealingofRecords:Transferredfunctionof SealingofRecordstotheITdepartment. • CourtCombinedWebCalendars:Corrected theremainingbugsandenhancedtheexisting featuresoftheCourtCombinedWeb Calendars. • OutlookCourtViewCalendars:Provideda meansofaccessingCourtViewevent informationwithinOutlookandexternal devices. • JAVSSystem7upgrades:CompletedJAVS System7upgradesforallJudgesthatstill retainedSystem6.5courtrooms • JAVSGrandJurysystem:Replacedout-of-date recordingsystemfortheGrandJurywithJAVS System7equipment. • STOPWomen’sprogram:Installedtechnology, networking,andequipmentinthenewSTOP Women’sprogramwingoftheEchobuilding. • Radioreplacement:ReplacedallCourtradios withdigitalcapablemodels.

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Hon. mary KatHerine Huffman

JudgeHuffmanhasbeenaGeneralDivision Judge since 2002. From2007-2010JudgeHuffmanpresidedover the Common Pleas Court’sDrugCourt,andpresidedoverthecourt’s Non-Support Court from2005-2006.

Judge Huffman received her B.A.in political science from WrightStateUniversityandherJ.D.fromtheUniversityofDaytonSchoolofLaw, graduating summa cum laude fromeachinstitution.ShereceivedaM.A.inJudicialStudiesfromtheUniversity of Nevada in May, 2015. Judge Huffman also received aCertificateinJudicialDevelopment,General Jurisdiction Trial Skills,fromTheNationalJudicialCollegein 2015. In 2007 JudgeHuffmancompleted mediation training attheNationalJudicialCollege.

JudgeHuffmanisamemberoftheAmerican, Ohio and Dayton BarAssociations, the Ohio CommonPleas Judges Association, and is aMaster at the Carl Kessler Inn of Court,servingasthatorganization’sPresidentfrom2011-2013.

Hon. dennis J. lanGer

Judge Langer joined the benchin 1995. He received hisundergraduate degree from JohnCarrollUniversity and lawdegreefromBostonUniversity.

HeservedasaMontgomeryCountyAssistant Prosecuting Attorneyfrom 1976-1995, and was namedOhio’s “Outstanding AssistantProsecutingAttorney”in1994.

HeservedasAdministrativeJudgeoftheGeneralDivisionfrom2004-2007. JudgeLanger isanAdjunctProfessor at the University of DaytonSchoolofLaw.

presidinG JudGeHon. BarBara p. Gorman

Judge Gorman joined the benchin 1987. She received anHonorsB.A. from Marquette University,a Master’s Degree, then her JurisDoctorate, summa cum laude, fromthe University of Dayton.

She joined the MontgomeryCountyProsecutor’sOfficein1977.Judge Gorman is a past presidentof Catholic Social Services of theMiamiValleyandpastChairoftheChaminade-Julienne High SchoolBoard of Trustees. She presentlyserves on the Boards of the Ohio CommonPleas JudgesAssociation(Secretary); the Dayton School ofLawAdvisoryCouncil aswell theAlumni Association, Linda Vista,Inc., theBrunnerLiteracyCenter,andYWCADayton.

Judge Gorman is a member ofthe Dayton, Ohio, and AmericanBarAssociations;amemberof theDayton Lawyers Club, and theCarl D. Kessler Inn of Court. She is amemberof theOhioSupremeCourtCommissionontheRulesofPractice andProcedure. In 1993,she received the DistinguishedAlumniAwardfromtheUniversityofDaytonSchoolofLaw.

Judge Gorman currently presidesovertheMen’sDrugCourt.

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Hon. mary Wiseman

JudgeWisemanjoinedthebenchin2007. She holds an undergraduate degree from Ball State Universityandalawdegree,withhonors,fromtheUniversityofArkansas.

In her private practice she focusedoncomplexcommerciallitigationinboththestateandfederalcourts.

Judge Wiseman served on theDaytonCityCommissionfrom1998to 2002. She serves on the Board of the Volunteer Lawyer’s Project forGreater Dayton.

Judge Wiseman teaches at theUniversityofDaytonSchoolofLaw.She chairs the Court’s TechnologyCommittee.

Hon. timotHy n. o’Connell

Judge O’Connell was elected tothe bench in 2006. He obtainedhisundergraduateandlawdegreesfromtheUniversityofDayton.

He was in the private practice oflawfrom1980-1990,atwhichtimehe was appointed as a Referee inthe General Division.

JudgeO’Connellteachescontinuinglegal education seminars for theDayton Bar Association and is amentor for Dayton Public Schoolelementarystudents.

Judge O’Connell serves on theFee Arbitration and Diversity Committees of the Dayton BarAssociation and MagistratesCommittee of the Ohio JudicialConference, as well as the boardof Trustees of Nova HouseAssociation.

Hon. GreGory f. sinGer

Judge Singer joined the bench in2005. He received his Bachelor’sdegree from the University ofCincinnati,andhislawdegreefromthe University of Dayton.

Heservedfor15yearsasanadjunctProfessor of Law at theUniversityof Dayton, he is amember of theOhioandDaytonBarAssociations,and has been licensed to practicelaw in Ohio, Kentucky, and theUnitedStatesSupremeCourt.

Judge Singer serves on the OhioJudicial Specialized Docketsand Community CorrectionsCommittees, as well as the OhioCommonPleas JudgesAssociationBoardofTrustees.

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Hon. miCHael W. KrumHoltZ

Michael W. Krumholtz waselected to the General Divisionbench in November 2012. Hereceived his undergraduate degreefrom Denison University and hisJuris Doctorate degree from theUniversityofCincinnatiCollegeofLaw. He came to thebenchafteradistinguished30-plus-yearcareerasanattorneywithoneofthearea’soldest law firms – Bieser,Greer&Landis.

Judge Krumholtz has been aFellowof theAmericanCollegeofTrial Lawyers since 2007, as wellas a Fellow of the American BarFoundation. He is also a Trusteefor the Building Bridges Board, as wellas

a member of the Dayton BarAssociation.

Judge Krumholtz currently serveson the Jury Management andSecurityCommitteesoftheGeneralDivision.

Hon. dennis J. adKins

Judge Adkins was appointed to theGeneral Division bench on June 6,2011.HeservesastheAppointmentsCommittee Chair, and serves ontheCriminalPractice,SecurityandTechnologyCommittees.

HereceivedhisB.S.degreefromtheUniversity of Dayton in 1982, and his law degree from Salmon P. ChaseSchoolofLawin1986.

JudgeAdkinschairedthecommitteetocreatethefirstVeteran’sTreatmentCourt inMontgomeryCounty, andserves as Judge of that Court. Healsochairedacommitteetooverhaulthe Criminal Appointed CounselProgram for the Court. JudgeAdkins frequently lectures, serveson the Dayton Bar Association’sCertifiedGrievance committee andCriminal Practice Committee, andisamemberoftheDaytonLawyersClub.

Hon. steven K. danKof

Governor Strickland appointedJudgeDankoftotheGeneralDivisiononDecember30,2010, andhewasre-electedtothebenchinNovember,2012andagaininNovember,2014.

He received his BBA, summa cumlaude, fromTheOhioUniversity in1973andhisJ.D.withHonorsfromthe University of Texas at AustinSchoolofLawin1976.

For 35 years, Judge Dankof was aDayton trial lawyer, recognizedin The Best Lawyers in America,Martindale-Hubbell AV rated, andwas named “Dayton Best Lawyers2011PersonalInjuryLitigatoroftheYear”.

Judge Dankof frequently lectures,servesonmultipleCourtcommittees,and is a member of The DaytonLawyersClub.

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Hon. riCHard s. sKelton

Governor Strickland appointedLocalAttorneyRichardS.“Dick”SkeltonwaselectedtotheCommonPleas Bench, General Division, inNovemberof2014,takingofficeinearlyJanuary2015.

Judge Skelton received hisBachelor’s degree from WrightState University in 1984 and his JurisDoctoratefromtheUniversityofDaytonSchool ofLaw in1988.From 1988 until his election tothe Common Pleas Court, heworked as a trial attorney gainingextensive experience in bothcriminal and civil litigation whilerepresenting parties in a varietyofcases–personal injury,medicalmalpractice, wrongful death,criminaldefense(federal,state,andcounty),generaltort,custody,DUI,DWI,andOVI.JudgeSkeltonhasalso appeared on local televisionshows devoted to legal issues, andis a frequent guest lecturer at theUniversity of Dayton School ofLaw.

HeisamemberoftheDaytonBarAssociation where he served onthe Ethics Committee, as well asthe Ohio State Bar Association.As a private-practicing attorney,Judge Skelton received the highestpeer review attorney ranking byMartindale-Hubble.

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2015 Common pleas Court

annual report

DAYTON-MONTgOMerY COuNTY COurTs BuilDiNg301 W. Third StreetDayton, Ohio 45422-2156

www.mcohio.org/dr

Hon. Denise l. Cross AdministrativeJudge•937.496.7538

Hon. Timothy D. Wood Judge •937.496.7536

DePArTMeNTsAssignmentOffice •937.225.4107ComplianceOffice •937.225.4782CourtAdministration •937.225.6060FamilyRelations •937.225.4191LegalAdministration •937.225.6061LegalSecretaries •937.225.5483Magistrates •937.225.4063MediationServices •937.225.4539ParentEducation •937.225.4092

COMMuNiTY PArTNers & resOurCes

DOMesTiC ViOleNCe HelPArtemisCenter •937.461.435724-HourCrisisHotline •937.222.7233YWCADaytonShelter&Housing•937.222.6333SuicidePreventionCenter •800.320.4357

ATTOrNeY reFerrAlsDaytonBarAssociation • 937.222.6102OhioStateBarAssociation •800.282.6556

DomestIC relatIons

DIvIsIon

Hon. DenIse l. CrossAdministrative Judge

Judge Denise l. Cross is currently serving her sixteenth (16th) year as Administrative Judge of the Montgomery County Domestic relations Court. she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilberforce university in 1975 and her Juris Doctorate from the university of Akron in 1978. Judge Cross has practiced as a private attorney and has been a public servant in several capacities. in addition to acting as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and Assistant Public Defender, she has led in the Court system as both Chief Magistrate and legal Director. she was elected to the bench as Judge in 2000. she actively participates in many legal forums and community organizations.

DO

MES

TIC RELATIONS DIVISIO

N

Montgomery County, Ohio

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mIssIon statement

JurIsDICtIon

theDomesticRelationsCourt is thedivisionoftheCommonPleasCourtofMontgomeryCounty,Ohioempoweredbystatutetohearalldivorce,dissolution,legalseparation,andannulmentcasesaswellascivildomesticviolencecasesforresidentsofMontgomeryCounty.inaddition,thecourtmaintainsjurisdictionoverpost-decreematterssuchasallocationofparentalrightsandresponsibilities(formerly“custody”),childsupport,parentingtimeissues,spousalsupport,civilprotectionordersandotherrelatedissues.

orGanIZatIon

Administrative Judge Denise L. Cross and Judge timothy D. Wood lead the Court. Staff assignedto several departments assist the Judges in meeting the Court’s responsibilities. Duties are shared amongthebailiffs,courtreporters,judicialassistant,administrators, magistrates, staff attorneys,information system manager, legal secretaries,assignment and compliance officers, familyinvestigators, parent educators, public coordinatorsand mediators.

theMontgomeryCountyCourtofCommonPleas,DomesticRelationsDivisionisdedicatedtoresolvingfamilyconflictby:

• Providingqualityservicestothepublic • Ensuringefficientcasemanagementbya professionalandcourteousstaff • Offeringeasyaccesstothecourtforprompt issue resolution

thecourtcontinuallymeetsthechallengespresentedbysocial,legal,andtechnologicalchanges.

COMMuNiTY PArTNers & resOurCesATTOrNeY reFerrAlsFOr THe iNDigeNTVolunteerLawyersProject &LegalAid •937.461.3857UniversityofDaytonLawClinic •937.229.3817PublicDefender’sOffice •937.225.4652

CHilD suPPOrT AssisTANCeMontgomery County ChildSupport •937.225.4600StateofOhiotracking •800.860.2555

sOCiAl serViCe eDuCATiON AgeNCiesMontgomery County ChildrenServices •937.224.5437Montgomery County Job&FamilyServices •937.225.6164FamilyServicesAssociation •937.222.9481

Hon. tImotHY D. WooDJudge

After serving as a magistrate in the Montgomery County Domestic relations Court for eighteen (18) years, Judge Timothy D. Wood was appointed as Judge in 2011. He was elected to the bench in 2012. Judge Wood received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the university of Dayton in 1980 and his Juris Doctorate from the university of Dayton in 1984. Judge Wood maintained a private practice for several years before serving as a Staff Attorney, and then as a Magistrate and Judge. He is also very involved in several legal and community organizations.

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servICes anD Departments

ADMiNisTrATiON

Two Administrators have the primary responsibility of overseeing Court departments and day-to-dayfunctions.Dutiesaredividedbetweencourtoperationsand legal matters. The Court Administrator primarily attends to public and staff relations, as well as thesafetyandwelfareofallparticipants in theDomesticRelations Court. This administrator assists in program development, payroll, budget and inventory control,contractoversightandmanagesstaffdirectlyrelatedtothesupportofthecourtroomsanddailyoperations.theLegal Administrator primarily oversees the magistrates andlegalsupportstaffandmaintainsrelationsamongthe attorneys and legal community practicing inDomesticRelationsCourt.thisadministratorassistsin maintaining the Court’s Local Rules, providinglegal training and assuring magistrates provide timely andconsistentdecisions. Administratorscollaborateoncasemanagementandspecialprojects.

AssigNMeNT OFFiCe

Assignment officers have the primary duties ofassigningmagistratestocasesandschedulinginitialhearings.Relatedtotheseduties,assignmentofficersfacilitate calendar coordination between theCourt,attorneys and self-represented parties, collect and

maintainfilesformatterspendingbeforetheCourt,andcompletecaseinventory.theAssignmentOfficehastheadditionalresponsibilityofpreparingstatisticalcasemanagement reports required by the SupremeCourt of Ohio, or as approved for public recordrequests.thedepartmentalsoreviewstherecordsofindividualstodeterminetheircompliancewithSeekWorkOrdersandtomonitorthepaymenthistoryofindividuals in support matters. the staff preparescompliance reports for the Judges and Magistrates

priortocontemptorimpositionofsentencehearings.

BAiliFFs

Supporting each of the Judges, the Bailiff has theprimary responsibilities to maintain the Judge’s calendar,coordinatehearingdates,preparefilesandquestionnairesfortheweeklydocket,andenterresultsforSupremeCourtreporting.theBailiffservesasapointofcontactforattorneys,self-representedpartiesand the public. theymonitor docket case flow bytracking pending motions or objections, as well asthetimelysubmissionsoffinaldecreesandaddenda.Bailiffs prepare notices and ex parte entries asnecessary.theymaintainsecurityinthecourtroom,lobby,andhallsincoordinationwithSheriffDeputies.Bailiffsalsoswearinlitigantsandwitnessesforcourthearings.

COMPliANCe OFFiCe

the Compliance Office includes staff reviewingpleadings prepared by self-represented litigants(previously known as “pro se”) and administrativeordersinvolvingsupport.thePublicCoordinatorisprimarilyreviewingpaperworkthatisinitiatingacaseorreactivatingthecasewiththeCourt.thispositionassures that all addenda are included and providesrevieweddecreestotheJudges.ComplianceOfficersprimarily prepare post decree administrative ordersregarding support. they review the final decree,subsequent orders and any agreed orders submittedby attorneys and self-represented litigants, to assureadministrative support matters are addressed in accordance with Ohio law and the Montgomery

AssigNMeNT OFFiCe sTAFF

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County Domestic Relations Court Local Rules.ComplianceOfficersmay alsoprepare administrativeordersforthe Judgeincludingmodifications,terminationsorevenestablishmentofarrearagepayments.

COurT rePOrTers

AstheofficialCourtReportersforthecourt,staffofthisdepartmentprovidesaverbatimrecordof legalproceedings. When requested, they will preparewrittentranscriptsof theseproceedings.transcriptsareavailableinwrittenorelectronicformat.thecostforthisserviceisdependentuponthenumberofpagesin the transcript. these transcripts are necessarywheneverobjectionsorappealsarefiled.Additionally,this department is responsible for retaining custodyof all exhibits that are admitted in proceedings in

accordancewithapplicablestatutes.FAMilY relATiONs

Per a Judge or Magistrate’s referral, the FamilyRelationsDepartmentprovides services to litigatingparties in order to help resolve issues pertaining to allocation of parental rights and responsibilities.Servicesmaybeprovidedeitherpreorpostdecree.Staff primarily completes family or parenting timeinvestigations, but also performs home studies.theFamily Relations Department also assists parents in creating a workable parenting time schedule, and

maymediateoncasestheyarenotalreadyinvolved.legAl seCreTAries

the Legal Secretary Department supports themagistratesbypreparingcourtorders,reports,forms,memosand correspondence. theyare thepointofcontact for self-represented parties and attorneysand are responsible formaintaining files, includingconfidentialmaterials.thelegalsecretariesmayalsoassisttheJudgesinpreparingfinaldecisions,andthey

regularly coordinate with other court departmentsandagencies.MAgisTrATes

Magistratesareattorneysappointedby thecourt tohearcases referredby theJudges. Magistratesmayanswer procedural and other questions; however,theymaynotdiscussacasewitheitherparty(ortheirattorney)iftheotherparty/attorneyisnotpresent.Magistrates write articles for legal publications,makepresentationsatlegalseminarsandparticipateonspecialprojectsof theCourt. Whilemagistratesoften encourage and facilitate party settlements viamediationoragreedorders,theyalsoissuedecisions.Partiesmayobjecttodecisions(perthecivilrules)butevenifthereisnoobjectionfiled,theassignedJudge

COurT rePOrTers

legAl seCreTAries

COMPliANCe OFFiCe sTAFF FAMilY relATiONs sTAFF

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subpoenaedintocourt.ifthepartiesareabletoreachan agreement, a “written agreement” is prepared,andsignedbytheparties,which,inturn,isgiventotheparties,senttothecourt,andattorneysofrecord.

theCourtalsoprovidesassistancetotheindividualswhopetitionthecourtforaDomesticViolenceCivilProtection Order. the department staff cannotgive legal advice, but can assist as to the form ofthe pleading and procedural information. if a fullprotectionorderisgrantedbytheCourt,aDVWalletCardwillbeprovidedtoeachpersonprotectedunderthe order. this Wallet Card does not replace the

full order, but does contain much of the pertinentinformationneededwhenreportinganemergency.

PAreNT eDuCATiON

While the Parent Education Department has theprimarydutyofconductingparentseminars,thestaffalsoassistsmarriedcoupleswithorwithoutchildren,prior to or during the pendency of an action fordivorce,annulmentorlegalseparation.theFamilyRelations Department primary duties are to assist families with developing parenting time schedulesandmakerecommendationsregardingcustody,allofwhichareinthechildren’sbestinterests.

ParentEducatorspresent“HelpingChildrenSucceedAfter Divorce” a mandatory class for all parentsof children who are under 18 years old, that areseekingdivorce. the3-hourclass isofferedseveraltimes amonthand thepurposeof thispresentationis to inform parents about the effects of divorceand parental conflict on children. Staff also offerconciliationservices.Conciliationisaprocessinwhichoneofthespousesmaynotwanttogoforwardwithadivorce,dissolution,orannulment,but recognizesmaritalissues.thisspousemayrequest(evenpriortoacasebeingfiled) theopportunitytodiscussandidentify marital problems and alternative solutions.theconciliationconferenceallowsbothspouses thetimeandavenuetodiscusswhethertheywanttoseekmaritalcounselingorresolvethoseissuesthroughthedivorceprocess.

willreview,beforethedecisionbecomesapermanentorderofthecourt.MANAgeMeNT OF iNFOrMATiON sYsTeMs

theCourtrecognizesthattechnologyisnecessarytocreateanenvironmentofhighlyefficientstaff,whilestillmaintainingconfidentialityofpersonal information.For its case management system, the DomesticRelationsCourtmaintainsCourtViewandalsoworksin anovell andWindows networking environment.MiSisresponsibleforupdatinghardware,software,web information and forms, aswell asmaintaining

phone,kioskcheck-inandcommunicationwithothercountyandstatedepartmentsandagencies.

MeDiATiON AND DOMesTiC ViOleNCe serViCes

Mediationisaprocesswherepartiesresolvedisputesoutsidetheformallegalsystem.inDomesticRelationsCourt,mediationservicesareavailableformostcases,andallpre-decreecasesare screened formediation.if the parties agree tomediate, they willmeet in aprivatesettingwithtwostaffmediatorswhoareOhioSupreme Court certified. they assist the couplein identifying issues and developing options andsolutionsinthebestinterestsofthechildren,buttheywillnotdecidetheissuesforthecouple.Mediationisaconfidentialprocessandthemediatorsmaynotbe

MAgisTrATes

MeDiATiON, DV AND FrONT liNe sTAFF

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2015 aCComplIsHmentsDOMesTiC ViOleNCe PrOTeCTiON OrDer WAlleT CArD MAiliNgs

in2014,theMontgomeryCountyDomesticRelationsCourt unveiled awallet-sizeCivil ProtectionOrdercard that provides police agencies with a practicalway to verify and enforce such orders. “it’s aconvenientmethod for domestic violence victims toprovideevidencethattheyhaveaprotectionorder,”said Administrative Judge Denise Cross. initially,these cards were provided to all persons who hadbeengrantedafullprotectionorderandreturnedtoCourttorequestthecard.

inJuly2015,JudgeCrossreviewedtheprocess.Shefoundthatitwasintheprotectedparty’sbestinterestto receive their wallet card at the same time theyreceivethecertifiedcopyofthefullorder.DomesticRelationsCourtstaffarenowmailingbothtogetherto the parties, eliminating an additional trip to the Court. the Court will continue to providereplacementcardsinperson,whenneeded.

Since the change in 2015, Hamilton Countyrepresentatives met with Judge Cross regarding the walletcard,andinstitutedtheirversionoftheprocessin Fall, 2015.

reOrgANizATiON TO BeTTer serVe Our COMMuNiTY

in 2015, the Domestic Relations Court underwentreorganization. there were several changes instaffing,aswellasdynamicdecisionsinthelawthatfostered an environment ready for change. WiththeCourt preparing for its entrance into electronicfiling, and assisting increasing numbers of self-represented litigants, a structure was created toassure that community needs are met effectivelyandefficiently.Courtresourceshavebeenshiftedtorespond to critical services, and the administrativeteam continues to discuss further enhancements fortheupcomingyear.

2016 Goals • inconjunctionwiththeUnitedStatesSupreme Courtdecision,updateallformsanddocuments to assure gender neutrality.

• Furtherdevelopelectronicfilingproceduresand programming;implementelectronicfilingin conjucnctionwiththeMontgomeryCourtClerk ofCourts,andincoordinationwiththe General Division.

• increasestaffproductivitythrough reorganization,enhancedcross-trainingand utilizinginnovativetechnologies.

• Continueregularcommunicationbetweenthe courtandattorneyswhoareparticipatinginthe court’se-mailnotificationgroup

• Updatewebsiteandothercommunicationsto reflectreorganization.

sPeCiAl DeDiCATiONiN MeMOriAM, rOBiN M. leHMAN

MontgomeryCounty lostanextremelytalentedanddedicatedemployeein2015.theDomesticRelationsCourtlostatrueleaderandfriend.RobinM.LehmanpassedawayonMay14,2015.Wecarryhermemoryforwardwithus,aswecontinuetoservethecitizensofourcommunity.

PAreNT eDuCATiON sTAFF

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2013 - 2015 statIstICs

2013 2014 2015NEW FILINGS

DIVORCES 1,260 1,192 1,198DISSOLUTIONS 676 647 646LEGAL SEPARATIONS 22 26 27ANNULMENTS 11 9 10total 1,969 1,874 1,881pre & post DeCree motIons/HearInGsCUSTODY 215 219 210PARENTING TIME 135 122 117PROPERTY/OTHER 401 344 361SUPPORT 494 710 642total 1,245 1,395 1,330MOTIONS DISMISSEDBY PARTIES 661 607 602BY THE COURT 616 570 626total 1,277 1,177 1,228FINAL ORDERSDIVORCE DECREES 1,197 1,158 1,115DISSOLUTION DECREES 657 620 605ANNULMENT DECREES 6 10 7LEGAL SEPARATION DECREES 17 19 21total 1,877 1,807 1,748OTHER SERVICES PROVIDEDFAMILY RELATION INVESTIGATIONS 165 129 119MEDIATIONS 250 224 176PRO-SE DOCUMENTS REVIEWED 2,348 2,669 3,270DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PETITIONS FILED 1,580 1,453 1,613NOTICE OF WITHHOLDING ORDERS 1,378 915 1,573CHILD SUPPORT EMANCIPATION ENTRIES 1,337 1,339 1,195CONCILIATION COUNSELING ATTENDANCE 55 46 56PARENT EDUCATION SEMINAR ATTENDANCE 1,375 1,389 1,274total 8,488 8,164 9,276APPROVED BUDGET SUMMARYJUDICIAL OPERATIONS $353,336 $407,539 $420,005CHILD SUPPORT OPERATIONS $2,889,149 $2,830,141 $2,873,454PARENT EDUCATION OPERATIONS $23,626 $23,626 $23,626LEGAL RESEARCH FEE $6,000 $6,000 $6,000SPECIAL PROJECT FEE (Salaries&Benefits) $0 $0 $0total $3,272,111 $3,267,306 $3,323,085

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2015 Common pleas Court

annual report

MontgoMery County CourtS BuILDIng41 N. Perry Street, 1st FloorDayton, Ohio 45422-2130

www.clerk.co.montgomery.oh.us

gregory A. Brush ClerkofCourts • 937.496.7623

DIVISIonS

administration HumanResources •937.496.7623 InformationTechnology • 937.496.7580

legal Bookkeeping •937.225.5066 Civil •937.225.4512 Criminal •937.225.4536 DomesticRelations •937.225.4562 CourtofAppeals •937.225.4512

reCords •937.496.7762

ClerK oF Courts

gregorY a. BrusHClerk of Courts

greg has served as Montgomery County Clerk of Courts since January, 2007. He works diligently to provide positive leadership and to meet the day-to-day challenges of the office. He has led his staff in research and development for new and more efficient processes by collaborating with other elected officials to bring more advanced technology to the office procedures. Greg is a past president of the Ohio Clerk of Courts Association, a member of the Association of Municipal/County Court Clerks; the Montgomery County township Association; and the Dayton Bar Association. He graduated from Wright State university in 1985 with a B.A. in Sociology and he received his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan university.

Montgomery County, O

hio

CLE

RK OF COURTS

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ronaldjlewis
Cross-Out
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DIVISIonS Cont’d

muniCipal Court easternDivisionoffice 6111TaylorsvilleRoad HuberHeights,ohio45424-2951

Traffic/Criminal •937.496.7231 Civil • 937.225.5824

WesternDivisionoffice 195s.ClaytonRoad Newlebanon,ohio45345-9601

Traffic/Criminal •937.687.9099 Civil • 937.687.9092

auto title

Downtownoffice •937.225.4480,ext.627 451W.Thirdstreet Dayton, Ohio 45422-3132

Centervilleoffice •937.225.4480,ext.629 108W.springValleyRoad Centerville,ohio45458

Claytonoffice •937.225.4480,ext.630 8391N.Mainstreet Dayton,ohio45415-1601

HuberHeightsoffice •937.225.4480,ext.632 6108ChambersburgRoad HuberHeights,ohio45424-3857

WestCarrolltonoffice •937.225.4480,ext.633 1152e.DixieDrive WestCarrollton,ohio45449-1825

guiding prinCiplesWe are committed to the citizens of MontgomeryCountyandwillservethepublicbyworkingtogether,relyononeanother,andstayingfocusedonourcorevalues:

• Respect–forthoseweserveandthosewe work with;

• Fairness–weholdeveryonetothesame standards;

• Honesty–inourdealingswithcustomersand co-workers;

Deputy Clerk Jermaine Tims serves a customer in the Criminal Department of our Legal Division

MISSIon:ourmission is toprovideprogressiveand efficient records management and financialservicesforthejusticesystem,legalcommunity,andpublicsotheyhavefairandtimelyaccesstoaccurateCourtandAutoTitlerecordsandservices.

VISIon: The Montgomery County Clerk ofCourts is to be the most technologically advancedorganization, focused on delivering outstandingcustomer service in every aspect of operations.

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auto title statistiCs 2013 2014 2015

Automobile Titles 239,094 242,220 255,094Watercraft titles 2,222 1,892 2,344other titles * 266,060 273,749 282,311Passport Applications 4,200 4,709 6,755totAL 511,576 572,570 546,504

The Clerk of Courts Legal Division processes an average of 2,205 documents daily.

legal diVision

ThelegalDivisioniscomprisedoffourdepartments:Civil, Criminal, Domestic Relations and secondDistrict Court of Appeals.

Civil Departmentacceptselectronicfilingsfornewcomplaints, issues service of summons, maintains a journal of pleadings filed in each case, and issuessubpoenastowitnesseswhenacaseisreadyfortrial.Judgment liens including ohio sales and personalincometaxliensarealsofiledintheCivilDepartment,alongwiththeexecutionoflienproceedings.

Criminal Department maintains all electronic casefilesforfelonycaseproceedings.TheCriminalDepartment receives all filings pertaining to aparticularcaseandexecutesthenecessarydocumentsineachphaseofthecriminaljusticeprocessincludingindictments, arraignments, issuance of subpoenasforgrand juryand trialwitnesses,andfilingnoticesof appeal. other duties include posting bonds,calculating court costs, paying witnesses, andpreparing post-sentencing documents to transferdefendantstodesignatedstateinstitutions.

*Other Titles include Buses, Motorcycles, Motor Homes,Off Road All-Terrain Vehicles, Outboard Motors, Travel Trailers, Vans, Mobile Homes, and Built Homes.

oFFiCe oVerVieW

The Clerk of Courts office traces its origins fromthe medieval cleric who maintained records, wasresponsibleforcorrespondence,andhadthepowertoissuewritsandotherprocessesorderedbythecourt.The 1802ohiostateConstitutionprovided for theappointment of a Clerk of Court for each county. originally,theClerkwasappointedbythejudgesofthe Court of Common Pleas for a seven-year term.

under the 1851 Constitution, the office becameelectiveforathree-yeartermthatwasthenextendedtoafour-yeartermin1936.

The Montgomer yCounty Clerk of Courts’ officetodayiscomprisedof approximately 100employees who maintain and make available allcourt records filed withthe General Division andDomesticRelationsDivision of Common

Pleas Court, the Montgomery County MunicipalCourt,andthesecondDistrictCourtofAppeals.TheClerk’sofficealsoissuestitlesformotorvehiclesandprocessesu.s.passportapplicationsasanauthorizedPassport Acceptance Agency.

diVisions oF tHe ClerK oF Courts oFFiCeauto title diVision

TheAutoTitleDivisionoftheClerkofCourts’officeissues and maintains motor vehicle and watercrafttitles to individuals and automobile dealers in andoutside of Montgomery County. The Auto TitleDivision also processes passport applications in response to the federalmandaterequiringpassportsfor all travelers.

By the authority of the President of the United States, the Secretary of State has designated various entities authorized to accept passport applications. One of these entities is the State Court of Record. The Clerk of Courts for Montgomery County is designated as a State Court of Record, thus enabling the office to accept passport applications.

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Domestic relations Department is responsible for the filing, docketing, and distribution of courtpapers from attorneys, judges, and court personnelpertaining to divorce, dissolution of marriage,domesticviolence,andforeignsupportorders.ManyofthecasesprocessedinDomesticRelationsinvolvechildsupporttominorchildren,requiringcontinualupdatingoffilesuntilthechildrenareemancipated,undermostcircumstancesuntil thechildis18yearsold.

Second District Court of Appeals is served bythe Clerk of Courts in the capacity that the Clerk is responsible for receiving, filing, and conveying allappealsfiledfromvarioustrialcourtsinMontgomeryCounty. Additionally, theClerkofCourtsoffice isresponsible for preparing the lower court record inappeal cases including cases appealed to the ohioSupreme Court.

muniCipal Court diVision

TheMontgomeryCountyMunicipalCourtservesthecities of Brookville, Trotwood, HuberHeights, andRiverside;thevillagesoffarmersville,Newlebanon,Phillipsburg,andVerona;andthetownshipsofClay,Jackson,Jefferson,andPerry.Inadditiontothe lawenforcement agencies in these areas, the court also servesvariousotheragenciesincludingtheohiostatePatrol, State of Ohio Park Rangers, Ohio Division of Wildlife, Public utilities Commission,Montgomery

maintaining Court reCordsCaseloads past 3 Years 2013 2014 2015

Common Pleas Civil 7,748 7,233 6,779Common Pleas Criminal 4,552 4,934 4,550Domestic relations (excluding DV) 2,024 1,913 1,934

Domestic Violence 1,580 1,453 1,613Court of Appeals 488 499 432Certificates of Judgment 3,906 3,902 3,610State Certificates of Judgment 11,498 16,307 10,593

executions of Judgment 1,617 1,549 1,304Board of revision 251 540 376notary 1,347 1,213 1,264County Municipal Civil 2,259 2,439 2,310County Municipal Criminal 3,819 3,718 3,477

County Municipal Traffic 9,296 9,650 9,409totAL 50,385 55,350 47,651

no title, no transFer, no transportation Campaign

In 2015, the Clerk launched several commercialsto warn the public of the risks associated withpurchasing a motor vehicle without obtaining a legal title. The ability to purchase vehicles online andacross state linescreates the scenariowherecitizenspurchase vehicles without ever obtaining the titles to those vehicles. Thus, they are not able to establish legal ownership in Ohio by transferring the title of thevehicleintotheirname.Withoutavalidtitleand/orrequiredpaperwork,individualsareforcedtofileaPetition to Transfer Title with the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas.

The most popular commercial was “… Why doZombies walk...” They are forced to walk becausetheyhavenotitletobetransferredintotheirname.

Greg Brush, Clerk of Courts, and Vanessa Bradfield, Chief Deputy Auto Title, with the cast of the Zombie commercial.

In 2015, there were 52 Petitions to Transfer Title filed with the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas, compared to 17 filed in 2014.

County Zoning, Public Health – Dayton & MontgomeryCounty,MontgomeryCountyAnimalResourceCenter,BoardofliquorControl,BoardofPharmacy,DepartmentofTaxation,andfiveRiversMetroParks.

The County Municipal Court has authority in alladulttrafficandmisdemeanorcasesoccurringinthecourt’sjurisdiction,civilcasesupto$15,000,andsmallclaimscasesupto$3,000,andistheoriginatingcourtforfelonypreliminaryhearingsinitsjurisdiction.

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muniCipal Court diVision moVes to neW Case management sYstem

The Municipal Court Division migrated to a newcasemanagement system inMarch 2015. The newsystem provides a more efficient way of schedulingevents,generatingdocuments,andcreatingcaseloadreportsthatarerequiredtobesubmittedtotheohioSupreme Court. The Clerk of Courts strategically movedtheMunicipalCourtDivisiontothesamecasemanagementsystemasthelegalDivisioninordertoavoid additional license and software maintenancecost. There is one database for both theMunicipalCourt and legal Divisions, which is less laborintensiveforourITstaff.

tHe groWtH oF eFiling

In october 2009, the Clerk’s office began a pilotproject to allow participating parties to electronically file their case documents for Common Pleas Civilcases.Throughtheyears, theprogramexpandedtomandatory efiling of all documents for CommonPleas Civil and Criminal Cases. TheMontgomeryCountyClerkofCourtswasthefirstinohiotohaveafullyintegratedefilingsystemandwasrecognizednationally for this accomplishment. eFiling permits judges, attorneys, parties, and relevant court andclerk personnel to view a case simultaneously andincreasesthespeedandefficiencyofcaseprocessing.

The Clerk’s office strives to continually bring theprocedures and processes of the offices into theelectronicfieldofefficiency.In2016,theClerk’sofficewill work in conjunction with Domestic Relations Courttodevelopandimplementelectronicfilingforallcasesfiledwiththatcourtaswell.

The busiest day for eFiling documents in 2015 was August 31, 2015, when 3,108 documents were filed electronically.

2015 eFiling statistiCsFilers 2,448eFiling Submissions 218,404Documents Filed 345,933Pages Filed 940,077

eleVated pro aCCess

VisitorscontinuetosearchcasesonourPublicRecordsonline(PRo)system,whichofferspublicaccesstoallcourt case information that is not confidential.TheClerk’s office has an extended user interface thatallows lawenforcementofficersandcourts to log inandgainelevatedaccesstothePRosystem.elevatedaccessprovides theability toobtaindocuments thatare not available to the public in a secure format with the convenience of our always-available online system.

The Clerk’s Office maintains over 9.3 million electronic documents, allowing the public to obtain non-confidential documents through our Public Records Online system any time, day or night.

ClerK’s WeBsite

Visitusatwww.clerk.co.montgomery.oh.us

The Clerk of Courts website receives thousands ofhitsperweek.Visitorsareofferedaccesstoavarietyof information, includinghowmuchitcoststofileacase,howtoreleaseajudgmentlien,andhowtosealacriminalrecord.

2015 redaCtion statistiCsDocuments Processed by Redaction 454,515Pages Processed by Redaction 1,486,444Number of Documents with Redactions 51,531total redactions Found 121,209

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Legal Division staff participates in their annual Halloween Costume Day.

Clerk of Court employees enjoy an evening of bowling with their co-workers.

appreCiation to our staFF For a JoB Well done

ourbestresourceisourpeople.TheClerk’sofficehasaworkforceof100talentedemployeeswhocompletevariedtasks.Westrivetocreateaworkforcewhereourcustomersareefficientlyservedandouremployeesareprovidedwiththetoolstoprovidehighlevelsofservice.Wethinkitisimportanttorecognizeandexpressourappreciationforthehardworkanddedicationofouremployees.Weprovideseveralopportunitiesforourstafftokickbackandenjoyfunwiththeirco-workers.Whetheritisabowlingevent,Halloweenfun,oranappreciationdinner,wemaketimetojustrelax,laugh,andbetogether.

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CommunitY outreaCH: ClerK staFF raises moneY For WortHY Causes

TheClerk’sofficesponsoredseveral“CasualforaCause”daysin2015.MoniescollectedfromtheseeventsweredonatedtounitedWay,uNCf,Heidfamilyscholarshipfund,andaliftChairfundforadisabledretireeoftheClerk’soffice.ClerkofCourtsstaffalsoparticipatedintheMsWalk,MakingstridesAgainstBreastCancerWalk,andtheMarineCorpsToysforTotscampaign.

Municipal Court Division’s annual employee appreciation dinner.

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