Ohio Criminal Justice
The Stark County District Library offers books, online databases, and a list of recommended websites to assist you in understanding and locating facts related to the Ohio criminal justice system. While reference books may be used only in the library, the databases can be accessed both in the library and from home. Some databases require a subscription or fee. Websites can be accessed from home, in the Main Library’s Technology Center, or at any library branch location. The library’s professional staff will be happy to assist you in finding information. Come to the library, call Reference Services at (330) 458-2754, or email the staff at Ask a Reference Librarian for further assistance.
| Audiovisual | Books | Databases | Websites |
Preparing for a court appearance, or knowing someone involved in the legal process, may be difficult. The video below explains the court hierarchy and process.
Your Court System and You is an overview of the United States court system. The video offers material on the common pleas courts, municipal courts, appellate courts, and the Ohio Supreme Court. It follows a hypothetical non-criminal case through the civil suit process, and also covers a criminal case to show the differences between non-criminal and criminal cases.
The Ohio criminal justice system can be bewildering and intimidating. Here are some books that outline the system and its agencies, cover Ohio laws and procedures of criminal justice, give court rules, and describe how to search public records.
Crime and Criminal Justice in Ohio: Programs and Agencies explains the hierarchy of Ohio justice and the types of cases tried by the various courts. A chapter on bureaucracies shows how criminal matters are handled on appropriate levels, such as the Attorney General, Rehabilitation and Correction, or Youth agencies. Another chapter explains the kinds of law enforcement officials and correctional facilities.
Katz & Giannelli Ohio Criminal Justice is of interest to persons wishing to know such things as the powers and duties of a public defender or the length of prison term that may be imposed for a certain felony.
Public Records Online: The National Guide to Private & Government Online Sources of Public Records assesses which resources will be an aid to individuals in need of criminal or court records. Contact information is provided. (This may change, and it is recommended that the official websites of the agencies be used to verify data given in the book.)
Researching Public Records: How to Get Anything on Anybody is a guide to the kinds of public records, what data is to be found in each, and how to find the records and obtain the details desired. Chapter 4, Criminal and Court Records, outlines the procedures for deciding which courthouse to search and how the records are filed. The author states that most crimes are tried in state courts, while some offenses must go to federal courts because the crime involves interstate commerce or fraud, smuggling, or kidnapping.
The National Crime Information Center computerized index of criminal justice information is available only to federal, state, and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies, not to the public. No private company or service can provide public access to all criminal records. Some states and counties only provide access to their records online themselves. Some states allow access through a state-sponsored service, or not at all. Many counties are unable to gather and distribute their criminal data online to the public. Searching local records by hand is time-consuming, though one can search for all variations on a name and get in-depth records and document copies. The following online sources may require registration and/or fees for searches. Read carefully the directions and conditions for using the databases.
Search Systems Free Criminal Records Search Guide http://www.Searchsystems.net/free-criminal-records-search-guide.php
This online document is a guide to resources for criminal records, both national and by state. The user may read the introduction to each source before clicking to reach it. Court records provide aid about pending criminal cases, or closed criminal cases that resulted in conviction. Corrections records from jails have data about convicted individuals, but some jurisdictions list former inmates, probationers, or parolees. PACER is a source for searching federal court records. Registration is required and modest fees are charged for searches which cover civil, criminal, and bankruptcy cases filed in U.S. District Courts. Register at http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/register.html
Search Systems Premium Criminal Records https://premium.searchsystems.net/criminal.php has over 300 million criminal, criminal court, inmate, and sex offender records from multiple sources. Depending upon the jurisdiction, results may include charges, case information, and address. For a fee, a user may access records by state or search all records at once.
Search Systems DirectPass Criminal Records http://www.searchsystems.net/list.php?nid=494 links to state, national, and international criminal records. This is the place to find wants, warrants, and arrests. There is a link to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which is searchable for inmates by first and last name or by Register Number, DCDC Number, FBI Number, or INS Number. Some databases within this source ask for registration and fees.
Search Systems DirectPass Ohio http://www.searchsystems.net/list.php?nid=507 includes links to how to order an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation criminal history check, over 70 county common pleas and municipal court databases, Department of Rehabiliation and Corrections current inmate records, sex offenders statewide, Ohio U.S. District Court PACER criminal and civil records databases, and a large number of city and county databases and indexes.
The following websites will help in research involving Ohio courts, criminal records, and correctional institutions for adult and juvenile offenders. Because of the changeable state of website addresses and website links, no guarantee of current accuracy can be given to the user. Please email jgreen@starklibrary.org to report any broken links.
Attorney Referral/Comparison/Legal Topics
Martindale.com http://www.martindale.com is the website of Martindale-Hubbell, an authority on legal research and lawyers and law firms. Their database offers data on over 1 million legal professionals in 160 countries. Register for free access to premium features such as side-by-side comparison of lawyers or law firms. Free items without registration include searching for attorneys or firms by name or area of practice. Peer reviews assure the searcher that an attorney has ethical standards above reproach.
Ohio Courts with Forms and Rules http://www.ohiolegalservices.org/public/legal_problem/Home/find_local_court_forms_rules is a link to the Ohio Legal Services site, where the user may enter a county name or a zip code to search for a local court. Not all courts have their forms or rules posted on their website.
Supreme Court of Ohio http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/introduction/ is the official website of the state's highest court. There is a list of attorney referral services. The court's online docket may be searched by case number or party name, among other choices. Announcements and decisions are posted. Lower Ohio courts websites are linked from this site.
Ohio Judicial Conference Courts Directory http://www.ohiojudges.org/ is a resource with which the user may choose the Directory menu to search for contact details for a judge, or the Links menu to reach a webpage listing the Ohio Supreme Court, district courts of appeals, and county common pleas and municipal courts. The user should note that not all courts listed have active web links.
Criminal Justice Information Systems Stark County http://www.starkcjis.org/ has an online court docket permitting the user to search for court records about an individual, including criminal charges.
Ohio Criminal Records
Federal Bureau of Prisons http://www.bop.gov Inmate Locator is searchable for inmates by first and last name or by Register Number, DCDC Number, FBI Number, or INS Number, for persons incarcerated starting with 1982. There is a directory of facilities by type and by geographic region.
Electronic Sex Offender Registration and Notification (eSORN) http://www.esorn.ag.state.oh.us/Secured/p1.aspx is a resource for locating and tracking registered sex offenders. There are links to Most Wanted, Offender Search, and Recently Released Offenders. Click on Contact Your Sheriff to reach county sheriffs and search for registered offenders within a specified area.
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction http://www.drc.state.oh.us/ website has contacts for Ohio institutions and driving directions to reach them. The user may choose Offender Search from the Institutions menu and search for a person who is currently an inmate or under supervision. The Most Wanted list, with details, is another choice from the Institutions menu.
Ohio Department of Youth Services http://www.dys.ohio.gov/ has statistics and descriptions of programs for youthful offenders. Choose Inside DYS for contacts for youthful offender facilities, as well as parole and community services regional offices.
City of Canton, Ohio Prostitution Convictions http://www.cityofcanton.com/johns.html has photographs of persons arrested and convicted for soliciting or engaging in prostitution, with dates and city of residence.