Domestic Relations Division

If you would like to help index or abstract additional Common Pleas Court records, please email us with the subject "Projects-Common Pleas Court Records." Please include your full name, address, phone number, email and specifically your project interests and skills and we will find a project that suits your needs. We need lots of help with abstracting and data entry.

Common Pleas Judges - Early Records to 1851

The Court of Common Pleas was created upon statehood with a President Judge and three Associate Judges serving for seven year terms.  The Ohio General Assemble gave the Common Pleas Court powers in probate, testamentary and criminal matters.  The 1851 constitution changed the structure of the courts and transferred jurisdiction over probate, marriage and some other matters over to the newly created Probate Court.  At this time the structure of elected judges in the Common Pleas Court changed to have one elected judge serving for a seven year term.  By 1859 the Warren County Common Pleas Court expanded to include two elected judges, one of whom was local and the second judge who was on a circuit that covered multiple counties. The State Constitution of 1912 charged each county to elect its own representatives. Warren County did not elect a second judge again until 1987. The Common Pleas Court was expanded in 1970 to include a Domestic Relations Division with its own separate judge. In 2004, the Supreme Court created a third judge position for the Common Pleas Court.  The Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over all chancery, civil and criminal cases.  Currently Common Pleas Court Judges serve 6 year term periods beginning 1 January of the new year after the election.  Most Common Pleas Court records are open to the public except for parole, probation and adoption cases after 1964.

Common Pleas Judges - General Division

The Court of Common Pleas was created upon statehood with a President Judge and three Associate Judges serving for seven year terms.  The Ohio General Assemble gave the Common Pleas Court powers in probate, testamentary and criminal matters.  The 1851 constitution changed the structure of the courts and transferred jurisdiction over probate, marriage and some other matters over to the newly created Probate Court.  At this time the structure of elected judges in the Common Pleas Court changed to have one elected judge serving for a seven year term.  By 1859 the Warren County Common Pleas Court expanded to include two elected judges, one of whom was local and the second judge who was on a circuit that covered multiple counties. The State Constitution of 1912 charged each county to elect its own representatives. Warren County did not elect a second judge again until 1987. The Common Pleas Court was expanded in 1970 to include a Domestic Relations Division with its own separate judge. In 2004, the Supreme Court created a third judge position for the Common Pleas Court.  The Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over all chancery, civil and criminal cases.  Currently Common Pleas Court Judges serve 6 year term periods beginning 1 January of the new year after the election.  Most Common Pleas Court records are open to the public except for parole, probation and adoption cases after 1964.

Civil Division Records include: Absentee Ballots; Abstracts of Votes; Accounts with Foreign Sheriffs; Annual Statistical Reports; Appeal Bond Records; Appearance Dockets; Applications to Sell or Use Explosives; Appointment Journals; Appointments; Appraisements (Case Files – Civil); Assignment Docket (Civil); Auctioneer’s License Applications; Auctioneer’s License Records; Auctioneer’s Reports; Bench Dockets; Bills of Exception; Case Files (Civil); Certificates for Counsel Fees; Chancery Dockets; Chancery Records; Clerk’s Blotters; Complete Records (Civil, Insolvency, & Registration of Land Titles); Cost Bill Records; Court Calendars; Daily Records of Cases Filed; Disbursement Dockets; Embalmer’s Records; Execution Dockets; Execution (Case Files – Civil); Federal Census Schedules; General Indexes; Hunting & Fishing License Records; Index to Appearance Dockets; Index to Complete Records; Index to Declarations; Index to Execution Docket; Index to Journals; Index to Judgment Dockets; Index to Judgments, Decrees & Orders; Index to Naturalizations; Index to Pending Suits & Living Judgments; Injunction Bond Records; Journals (Civil); Judgment Dockets; Judgment Indexes; Jury Records; Jury Summonses; Jury Venires; Manumissions; Memorial Journals; Military Jury Exemptions; Misc. Dockets; Motion Dockets; Naturalization Files; Naturalization Records; National Records (Declarations of Intent); Notary Fee Records; Optometrists Records; Orders of Sale; Partition Records; Partnership & Traders Records; Petit Jury Records; Poll Books & Tally Sheets; Praecipe Dockets; Quadrennial Enumerations; Receipts for Papers; Receives of Undertakings; Records of Bills of Exemption; Records of Charitable Organizations; Records of Commissions; Records of Earmarks & Brands; Records of Estrays; Records of Indentures; Records of Justices & Constables; Records of Justices’ Oaths & mayors’ Certificates; Records of Notaries’ Commissions; Records of Railroad Policemen’s Commissions; Records of Trademarks; Registers of Real Estate Licenses; Retail Sales Tax Dockets; Second Trial Dockets; Summonses; Trial Dockets; Undertakings; and Witness Records.

Criminal Division Records include: Appeal Bond Records; Arrest Warrants; Assignment Dockets; Bail Bonds; Case Files; Commitment Records; Complete Records (Criminal); Coroner’s Inquests; Criminal Appearance Dockets; Grand Jury Reports; Grand Jury Witness Records; Habeas Corpus Bond Records; Habitual Traffic Dockets; Indictments; Journals; Journals (Liquor Cases); Liquor Case Dockets; Recognizances of the Accused; Records of Bills of Exception; Records of Inquest; Trial Dockets; and Witness Records. 

Juvenile Division Records include: Annual Reports; Appearance Dockets; Assignment Dockets; Case Files; General Index to Cases; Index to Probation Files; Journals; Juvenile Registers; Juvenile Records; Juvenile Traffic Ticket Dockets; Mother’s Pension Dockets; Mother’s Pension Files; Mother’s Pension Journals; Mother’s Pension Records; Probation Papers; Witness Dockets. 

Common Pleas Court Notes:

1.  William A. Rogers died in 1855 while serving in office.

2.  William H. Baldwin appointed in 1855 to fill the unexpired term of William A. Rogers.

3.  William White resigns in 1864.

4.  James J. Winans appointed Feb 1864 to fill unexpired term of William White. James J. Winans resigns in Fall of 1868 to run for Congress (and wins).

5. George J. Smith won election of 1858.  Listed in 11 June 1858 paper.  Resigns fall of 1868. 

6.  Edmund H. Munger appointed in 1869 to serve until the next election. He serves until Feb 9, 1872 when James M. Smith is elected.

7.  James M. Smith resigns in 1885 after serving for 13 years due to health reasons.

8.  Azariah Doan elected by legislature April 1875.

9.  John L. Wilson appointed by the Governor in 1885.

10. Charles R. White died August 1890.

11. Joseph O’Neall resigns due to poor health and James A. Runyan appointed in 1891 by Governor Campbell to fill the vacancy.

12. Walter S. Dilatush died on 29 Oct 1895. G. W. Stanley is appointed by the Governor to serve from October to December of 1895.

13. Willard J. Wright died 1 March 1927.

14. Charles B. Dechant appointed by Governor Vic Donahey 23 March 1927 to serve the remaining 2 years of Willard J. Wright’s unexpired term.

15. Alton F. Brown resigns 30 September 1952 to return to law practice of Marvin E. Young.  His unexpired term continues until 9 Feb 1955. 

16. William W. Savage begins term February 1900.

17. Thomas Scroggy is elected as the long term judge but only serves for a short time.  He resigns in 1904 to run for Congress.  (He died on 6 March 1915.)  Charles H. Kyle is appointed to fill his vacancy.

18.  F. G. Stone is the short term judge

19. Edward J. West begins term July 1, 1911.

20. Frank C. Anderson appointed on 30 Sep 1952 to fill unexpired term of Alton F. Brown.  This term continues until 9 Feb 1955.  He wins the 1954 election.  He died 13 April 1956.

21. Daryl Hottle of Highland County was assigned on April 1956 to fill vacancy. 

22.  Warren C Young won the 1956 election.  In 1971 Warren C. Young moves to the 1^st District Court of Appeals to fill unexpired term of Judge Richard H. Hildebrandt who retired.  P. Daniel Fedders is appointed in January 1971 to fill Warren Young’s position.

23. P. Daniel Fedders retires in 2003 after serving for 32 years.  James L. Flannery is elected to fill his position and begins Feb 9, 2003.

24. Neal Bronson is appointed to the new Common Pleas judge position Feb 1987.  He is elected to the same position at the next election in 1988. 

25. James J. Heath is appointed by the Supreme Court to the new position as third judge in the Common Pleas Court and begins his term on January 2, 2005.

26. James Heath died on 24 May 2009.  Robert Peeler was appointed 4 Sep 2009 to fill Heath's unexpired term and was elected to continue in the 2010 election.

Common Pleas Judges - Domestic Relations Division

The Domestic Relations Division of the Common Pleas Court was created in 1986 with a single judge elected to serve for a six year term.  The Domestic Relation Division has jurisdiction over all domestic cases including cases of divorce, alimony, illegitimacy, neglect & abuse of children, and nonsupport / desertion cases. 

Domestic Division Records include: Alimony Records; Assignment Dockets; Case Files (Dissolutions & Divorces); Complete Records (Divorce); Dissolution Appearance Dockets; Divorce Appearance Dockets; General Index to Dissolutions; General Index to Divorces; Index to Alimony Records and Journals (Minutes). 

 Common Pleas Court – Domestic Division Notes:

1.  James L. Flannery moves to the Common Pleas General Division to take over retiring Judge P. Daniel Fedders position.  He is elected to this position in the 2002 election beginning his term January 1, 2003.

2.  Timothy A. Oliver is appointed by the Governor in February 2003 to the Domestic Relations Judge position to replace James L. Flannery who went over to the Regular Division of the Common Pleas Court.

©2003-2010 Warren County Genealogical Society
For Non-commercial Use Only
Created on 17 Jan 2007 and last updated on 06 January 2011