OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
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H.B. 413 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 413’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Introduced
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Fowler Arthur
Effective date:
Aida S. Montano, Research Analyst
SUMMARY
Ashtabula County County Court
Replaces the two part-time judgeships of the Ashtabula County County Court with one
full-time judge and provides that those part-time judgeships cease to exist on January 1,
2031.
Provides that the part-time judge of the Ashtabula County County Court to be elected in
2028, must be elected for a two-year term commencing on January 1, 2029, and ending
on December 31, 2030, and that one full-time judge must be elected in 2030, for a six-
year term to commence on January 1, 2031.
Conneaut Municipal Court
Beginning January 1, 2025, expands the territorial jurisdiction of the Conneaut Municipal
Court to include the municipal corporation of North Kingsville, and within Kingsville,
Monroe, and Sheffield townships, in Ashtabula County.
Requires that all cases arising in the municipal corporation of North Kingsville in
Ashtabula County and in Kingsville, Monroe, and Sheffield townships in Ashtabula
County that are pending in the Eastern County Court in Ashtabula County on January 1,
2025, be adjudicated by the Ashtabula County County Court.
Requires that all cases arising in the municipal corporation of North Kingsville in
Ashtabula County and in Kingsville, Monroe, and Sheffield townships in Ashtabula
County on or after January 1, 2025, be brought before the Conneaut Municipal Court.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Ashtabula County County Court
Current law provides that in the Ashtabula County County Court, one part-time judge is
elected in 1980, and one part-time judge is elected in 1982. The most recent elections for these
April 8, 2024
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judges were in 2022 and 2024, respectively. The bill provides that this provision applies until
December 31, 2030.1
Under the bill, notwithstanding any contrary provision of an R.C. Section which requires
that judges of a county court must be elected for a term of six years commencing on the first
day of January following the election for the county court or on the dates specified in the law,
the part-time judge of Ashtabula County County Court to be elected in 2028 (i.e., the judge
initially elected in 1980) must be elected for a term of two years commencing on January 1,
2029, and ending on December 31, 2030. The bill provides that the Ashtabula County County
Court part-time judgeships cease to exist on January 1, 2031. One full-time judge must be
elected in 2030, for a six-year term to commence on January 1, 2031.2
Effective January 1, 2031, notwithstanding the provisions in continuing law designating
the annual compensation of county court judges, the full-time judge of the Ashtabula County
County Court under the bill must receive the compensation set forth in the law providing the
compensation of municipal court judges.3
Conneaut Municipal Court
Continuing law provides that municipal courts have jurisdiction within the corporate
limits of their respective municipal corporations.4 Thus, currently, the Conneaut Municipal
Court has jurisdiction within the corporate limits of the municipal corporation of Conneaut. The
Conneaut Municipal Court also has jurisdiction, under continuing law, within Ashtabula County
northerly beyond the south shore of Lake Erie to the international boundary line between the
United States and Canada.5
The bill modifies current law by providing that beginning January 1, 2025, the Conneaut
Municipal Court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of North Kingsville, and within
Kingsville, Monroe, and Sheffield townships, in Ashtabula County.6
Under the bill, all cases arising in the municipal corporation of North Kingsville in
Ashtabula County that are pending in the Eastern County Court in Ashtabula County on January
1, 2025, must be adjudicated by the Ashtabula County County Court. All cases arising in the
municipal corporation of North Kingsville in Ashtabula County on or after January 1, 2025, must
be brought before the Conneaut Municipal Court.7
1 R.C. 1907.11(A).
2 R.C. 1907.11(A) and by reference to R.C. 1907.13(C), not in the bill.
3 R.C. 1907.11(A) and by reference to R.C. 141.04(A)(5) and (A)(6) and 1907.16(A), not in the bill.
4 R.C. 1901.02.
5 R.C. 1901.023, not in the bill.
6 R.C. 1902.02.
7 Section 3(A).
P a g e |2 H.B. 413
As Introduced
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
The bill further provides that all cases arising in Kingsville, Monroe, and Sheffield
townships in Ashtabula County that are pending in the Eastern County Court in Ashtabula
County on January 1, 2025, must be adjudicated by the Ashtabula County County Court. All
cases arising in Kingsville, Monroe, and Sheffield townships in Ashtabula County on or after
January 1, 2025, must be brought before the Conneaut Municipal Court.8
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 02-15-24
ANHB0413IN-135/ts
8 Section 3(B)
P a g e |3 H.B. 413
As Introduced
Statutes affected: As Introduced: 1901.02, 1907.11