Ohio House OKs Paulding Muni Court bill

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COLUMBUS — State Representative Craig S. Riedel (R-Defiance) has announced that the Ohio House has passed House Bill 215, legislation he sponsored to allow the part-time Paulding County Court to become the full-time Paulding County Municipal Court.

“It was great to see House Bill 215 pass out of the Ohio House of Representatives this afternoon,” said Riedel. “I am glad that the passage of our first piece of legislation involves the hard working Judge Suzanne Rister of the Paulding County Court. I look forward to seeing how much more the full-time Paulding County Municipal Court will accomplish with these changes.”

House Bill 215 would help accommodate the growing number of cases that have arisen in Paulding County in recent years. This includes an increase in cases due to the opioid epidemic, as well as a substantial increase in traffic tickets, accidents, and moving violations following the 2012 expansion of U.S. 24 from a two-lane to a four-lane highway.

The Paulding County Municipal Court is responsible for hearing criminal division, traffic division, and civil division cases, including misdemeanor criminal cases, complaints up to $15,000, small claims up to $6,000, and eviction cases.

If enacted, the new court structure would go into effect January 1, 2020. HB 215 now awaits consideration by the Ohio Senate.