Franklin County Municipal Court

After having tried cases in the Franklin Municipal Court since 2000, the defense attorneys at Funkhouser Law have extensive experience here and a great track record for getting the most favorable outcome for each one of its clients.

The Franklin County Municipal Court is the trial level court for Franklin County, Ohio, hearing criminal misdemeanor cases and traffic cases as well as small claims cases. Here, a defendant can be tried in front of a jury of his or her peers of 8 persons and the penalties can be severe and life altering, so it is crucial to have a strong litigation defense attorney on your side.

Being a state run court, all of the judges are elected officials. Currently, there are 15 judges running concurrent trials in the courthouse. Having a strong familiarity with this court and a good understanding of the Franklin County Municipal Court, the defense attorneys at Funkhouser Law will personally guide clients through every step of the process, keeping them well-informed and protected.

The Arraignment

If a police officer charges someone with a misdemeanor, this is the court system that will handle the case. The police officer can issue a summons directly to the defendant to appear at an arraignment or a defendant will receive a letter in the mail to show up to an arraignment. At the arraignment, the judge will simply read the charges brought against the defendant, to which the defendant pleads either guilty or not guilty. Defendants should be present at the arraignment along with their defense attorney.

Contact the Court

Criminal Traffic Department
This Department is the Franklin County Court handling all misdemeanor criminal, initial felony filings and preliminary hearings, traffic cases requiring a court appearance, and numerous payable traffic offenses, and environmental cases.

Criminal/Traffic Department
2nd Floor
375 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 645-8186

Small Claims Division
The small claims division of the Franklin County Municipal Court handles small claims disputes where the amount claimed exceeds $6,000.

Small Claims
16th Floor
375 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 645-7381

Hours
Clerk Administration
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Civil Department
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Criminal/Traffic Department
Open Everyday

• Full Service
  • 8:00 a.m. – Midnight
• Prisoner Release Transactions
  • 24 Hours/Day

Traffic Violations
Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.