Franklin County Common Pleas Court

Criminal And DUI / OVI Cases In The Franklin County Common Pleas Court
At the Dominy Law Firm, we are criminal defense attorneys representing clients for criminal offenses and DUI / OVI in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. This page of our website provides information about that court. If you are going to court in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, this page will help you educate yourself about the court, its personnel, and the court process.

If you are being investigated for or have been charged with a felony criminal offense, a felony vehicular homicide or vehicular assault, or a felony DUI / OVI in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, it will be helpful to read through the information on other pages of this website. On those pages, you can learn more about your charges, the possible penalties, and strategies for defending against the charges. Before your first court appearance and before you hire a lawyer, it’s important to investigate these issues so you can make educated decisions about addressing your case and hiring an effective criminal defense attorney.

To Get More Information About The Franklin County Common Pleas Court
Address: 345 South High Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3600
Website: Franklin County Common Pleas Court

The Jurisdiction Of The Franklin County Common Pleas Court
For criminal cases, the Franklin County Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over felony offenses that occur within Franklin County. Misdemeanor criminal cases are heard in the Franklin County Municipal Court. Felony cases in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court include:

• Felonious Assault
• Drug Offenses
• DUI/OVI
• Theft and Fraud
• Vehicular Homicide
• Vehicular assault

Judges And Prosecutors In The Franklin County Common Pleas Court
In the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, there are 17 judges. After a Not Guilty plea is entered, cases are randomly and permanently assigned to one of the 17 judges. Each judge is individually elected, each judge operates independently, and each judge has his or her own judicial philosophy.

The attorneys who prosecute cases in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court are part of the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. That office employs over 100 assistant prosecutors. Most of the prosecutors are assigned to specific courtrooms, but some of the prosecutors are assigned to special units like the drug unit, the economic crime unit, and the vehicular crimes unit.

Case Process In The Franklin County Common Pleas Court
The precise process for each case varies, depending in part on the judge assigned to the case and depending on how soon in the process the case is resolved. In general, there are typically five or six stages to the process. Each case begins at the grand jury stage. If a grand jury concludes you probably committed a felony offense, an indictment is issued to notify you that you have been charged with that offense. You then appear at an arraignment where you enter a plea (guilty, no contest, or not guilty) and the judge determines bail.

After exchanging evidence with the prosecuting attorney (discovery), the next hearing is usually a pretrial hearing for the attorneys to discuss the case and negotiate. If there have been motions filed, the next stage is a motion hearing for the judge to decide disputed legal issues. If no agreement has been reached regarding the outcome of the case, there will be a trial. At the trial, a jury or judge will determine whether the evidence proves your guilt. If you are found guilty of something, or if you plead guilty to something, the final stage is a sentence hearing for the judge to impose a sentence for the offense.

Attorneys For Cases In The Franklin County Common Pleas Court
If you are going through the process in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, it would be beneficial to hire a lawyer to represent you. A felony case is probably not the type of case for which you want to represent yourself. Just as you should educate yourself about the case and the court, you should also research criminal defense lawyers. You want to find a lawyer who has experience with your particular type of case and who has experience in this particular court.

The Dominy Law Firm practices only criminal defense and has extensive experience in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. As you conduct your research, you may want to review our About Us page, as well as our case results and client reviews. If you finish your research and decide you may want to hire an attorney from our firm to represent you, there are two ways to reach us. You can submit a CONTACT FORM, or you can call us at 614-717-1177. Either way, we will schedule a free phone consultation to discuss your case and how we can help.