Courts
Counties, cities, villages and townships have municipal and/or county courts. The Butler County Area courts handle most of the misdemeanor and traffic cases, as well as domestic violence cases, OVI (Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated) cases and civil actions up to $15,000 that arise in their respective geographic jurisdictions.
The court of common pleas, the only trial court created by the Ohio Constitution, is established by Article IV, Section 1, of the Constitution, and its duties are outlined in Article IV, Section 4.
There is a court of common pleas in each of the 88 counties. Specific courts of common pleas may be divided into separate divisions by the General Assembly, including general, domestic relations, juvenile and probate divisions. Common pleas judges are elected to six-year terms on a nonpartisan ballot. The general division has original jurisdiction in all criminal felony cases and in all civil cases in which the amount in controversy is more than $15,000. General divisions also have appellate jurisdiction over the decisions of some state administrative agencies.
“The mission of the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, is to help families transition their lives by reaching compassionate and just resolutions to parenting and property disputes that are consistent with the law.”
The Butler County Juvenile Justice Center represents a microcosm of the justice system that encompasses the following areas: Judicial, Administrative Services, Juvenile Clerk's Office, Juvenile Probation Department, Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Unit, Program Services, Information Services, Juvenile Detention Center and Juvenile Rehabilitation Center. The Juvenile Court has jurisdiction over the following case types: Delinquent, Unruly, Support, Paternity, Juvenile Traffic, Abuse, Neglect, Dependency, Custody, Visitation, and Adult Criminal.
Every year we touch the lives of thousands of families in Butler County and surrounding areas. We hope you will take advantage of the information and links that are made available to you through this site. We are eager for you to learn more about the many divisions of the Juvenile Justice Center, as well as their functions and duties. We hope that you will visit our site often and offer any comments or suggestions that will allow us to better serve and inform the public.
Welcome to the Butler County Probate Court. Our mission is to protect the interests of the disabled, oversee the administration of estates, maintain court records for public access, adjudicate issues fairly and efficiently, and promote confidence in the judicial system.