OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 613 Bill Analysis
134th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 613’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Introduced
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Ginter
Effective Date:
Aida S. Montano, Research Analyst
SUMMARY
 Abolishes the East Liverpool Municipal Court, which has jurisdiction in East Liverpool
and Liverpool and St. Clair townships in Columbiana County and in certain portions of
the Ohio River, and abolishes its sole judgeship, to take effect on the bill’s effective
date.
 Removes the exception of East Liverpool and Liverpool and St. Claire townships from the
current territorial jurisdiction of the Columbiana County Municipal Court, resulting in
the Columbiana County Municipal Court having jurisdiction within Columbiana County.
 Specifies transition provisions, including the transfer of all causes, judgments,
executions, and proceedings pending in the East Liverpool Municipal Court on the bill’s
effective date, to the Columbiana County Municipal Court.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
East Liverpool Municipal Court
Current law
Under the current Municipal Courts Law, a municipal court is established in the
municipal corporation of East Liverpool, which is in Columbiana County. The East Liverpool
Municipal Court has jurisdiction within East Liverpool and Liverpool and St. Clair townships,
located in Columbiana County.1
The East Liverpool Municipal Court also has jurisdiction beyond the north or northwest
shore of the Ohio river extending to the opposite shore line, between the extended boundary
lines of any adjacent municipal or county courts. The East Liverpool Municipal Court has
1 R.C. 1901.01(A) and 1901.02(B).
May 23, 2022
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
concurrent jurisdiction on the Ohio River with any adjacent municipal or county courts that
border on that river and with any court of Kentucky or of West Virginia that borders on the
Ohio River and has jurisdiction on the Ohio River under the law of Kentucky or of West Virginia,
whichever is applicable, or under federal law.2
The East Liverpool Municipal Court has one full-time judgeship originally elected in
1953.3 The current judge was elected in 2019.
The bill
The bill abolishes the East Liverpool Municipal Court, its territorial jurisdiction as
described above, and its full-time judgeship.4 It provides that the East Liverpool Municipal Court
continues in operation until the bill’s effective date, at which time that court will cease
operations and its existence will terminate.5
Columbiana County Municipal Court
Under current law, a municipal court is established within Columbiana County in Lisbon
or in any other municipal corporation or unincorporated territory within Columbiana County,
except East Liverpool or Liverpool or St. Clair township, that is selected by the judges of the
Columbiana County Municipal Court as a central location within the court’s territorial
jurisdiction pursuant to the provision allowing each judge of the court to sit within a specified
municipal corporation until the judges jointly select a central location, at which time the judges
must sit at that location.6 The bill eliminates the above exception for East Liverpool or Liverpool
or St. Clair township.7
Territorial jurisdiction
Current law provides that the Columbiana County Municipal Court has jurisdiction
within all of Columbiana County except within East Liverpool and Liverpool and St. Clair
townships.8 Due to the bill’s abolition of the East Liverpool Municipal Court, the bill removes
the exception of East Liverpool and Liverpool and St. Clair townships, and provides that the
Columbiana County Municipal Court has jurisdiction within Columbiana County. 9 The bill also
2 R.C. 1901.027
3 R.C. 1901.08.
4 R.C. 1901.01(A), 1901.02(B), 1901.027, and 1901.08.
5
Section 3.
6 R.C. 1901.01(C) and by reference to R.C. 1901.021(I), not in the bill.
7 R.C. 1901.01(C).
8 R.C. 1901.02(B).
9 R.C. 1901.02(B).
P a g e |2 H.B. 613
As Introduced
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
removes the existing provision that the Columbiana County Municipal Court has jurisdiction
within the municipal corporation or unincorporated territory in which it is established.10
Transition provisions
The bill requires that all causes, executions, and other proceedings pending in the East
Liverpool Municipal Court on its effective date be transferred to and proceed in the Columbiana
County Municipal Court on that effective date, as if originally instituted in the Columbiana
County Municipal Court. The Clerk of the East Liverpool Municipal Court or other custodian
must transfer to the Columbiana County Municipal Court all pleadings, orders, entries, dockets,
bonds, papers, records, books, exhibits, files, moneys, property, and persons that belong to, are
in the possession of, or are subject to the jurisdiction of the East Liverpool Municipal Court, or
any officer of that court, at the close of business on the bill’s effective date, and that pertain to
those causes, judgments, executions, and proceedings.11
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 03-31-22
ANHB0613IN-134/ks
10 R.C. 1901.02(A).
11 Section 4.
P a g e |3 H.B. 613
As Introduced


Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 1901.01, 1901.02, 1901.027, 1901.08