Fairfield County, Ohio Court Records
According to Sup.R.11.09(A), court records are documents-regardless of manner of creation, physical characteristics or form, or storage method-maintained by court clerks.
A case file, which contains all the documents submitted throughout a legal proceeding, can also feature information from external sources. These include arrest records created by law enforcement, paperwork from insurance companies, and property documents generated by the County Auditor's office.
Are Fairfield County Court Records Public?
Yes. Rule Sup.R.11.11 commands court clerks to make almost every court record available for inspection and reproduction by members of the public.
However, access granted by the court rule does not apply to documents and details designated as confidential records by applicable state and federal statutes and court rules. Examples of these are outlined under Sup.R.11.09 (C)(1) and include alcohol and drug use assessments and reports created by treatment facilities, personal identifiers (debit and credit card numbers, full social security numbers, and employee identification numbers), child custody evaluations and reports, and domestic abuse risk assessment reports.
Other protected information in court records includes details connected to active criminal investigations, names of confidential police informants, identities and addresses of protected witnesses, and juvenile case records.
What Information is Available in Fairfield County Court Records?
Examples of information available in Fairfield County court records include:
- Details that can be used to search for court records, such as case party names, filing dates, case numbers, case titles, and attorney details.
- Documents submitted or created during case proceedings, including initial petitions or complaints, affidavits, filled court forms, and submitted evidence.
- Court transcripts and audio recordings.
- Judgments, jury verdicts, court orders (such as warrants and summonses), injunctions, and sentencing.
Fairfield County Court Records Search
Finding court records in Fairfield County requires knowledge of case types and court custodians, as the case types that records originate from determine which custodian to approach.
The Court of Common Pleas produces records related to felonies, civil cases where the amount in contention is above $5,000, juvenile cases, domestic relations matters, and probate proceedings. The municipal court, on the other hand, handles civil cases worth $15,000 or less and traffic and non-traffic misdemeanors.
Interested parties can access these cases online, by phone, by email, and in person through the office of the Fairfield County Clerk (Court of Common Pleas) or the Clerk of the Municipal Court.
Online Access
The Case Inquiry Search system of the Court of Common Pleas allows the public to search criminal and civil cases by name, case number, case type, and attorney details.
Each case page shows party information, including each party's name and designation; docket details displaying case event descriptions and dates, amounts owed and due, and image availability; case disposition; and, where applicable, charges, defendant details, and detention facility.
The Municipal Court allows the public to view details about these cases using the court's civil, criminal, and traffic case search systems. These systems are searchable by name, case number, hearing date, and filing date. One can also run a calendar search to find cases by a filing date range.
The public can complete the Record Request Form on the clerk's website to order copies of court records online.
Additionally, record seekers can use the Request for Court Recordings online form to order copies of audio recordings or transcripts of case hearings.
In Person, Email, and Mail-In Requests
Persons who intend to view the Court of Common Pleas case files without copying documents can visit the clerk's office at the following address:
Fairfield County Clerk of Courts
224 East Main Street
4th Floor
Lancaster, OH 43130
To obtain plain or certified copies of case documents, one can submit their request onsite, by telephone to (740) 652-7358, or through email. The printable version of the Request for Court Recordings can be filled out and also submitted to the clerk's office.
Interested parties can also send inquiries to the clerk of the municipal court using the following details for questions regarding record request methods:
136 West Main Street
Post Office Box 2390
Lancaster, Ohio 43130
Fees for Court Records in Fairfield County
Online search portals showing information about cases heard in the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court are free to use. The probate court also provides its case search systems as a free public service.
Obtaining copies of case records, however, requires paying the following fees:
- Plain copies: 10 cents per page
- Certified Copies: $5 plus 10 cents per page
- Authenticated/Exemplified Copies: $6 plus 10 cents per page
Fairfield County Courthouse Locations
The public can reach the courts operating in Fairfield County using the following addresses:
Common Pleas Court - General Division
Hall of Justice
224 East Main Street
2nd Floor
Lancaster, Ohio 43130
Phone: (740) 652-7421
Fairfield County Municipal Court
136 West Main Street
Lancaster, Ohio 43130
Phone: (740) 687-6621
Baltimore Mayor's Court
103 West Market Street
Baltimore, Ohio 43105
Phone: (740) 862-8550
Canal Winchester Mayor's Court
45 East Waterloo Street
Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110
Phone: (614) 837-7691
Fax: (614) 837-0145
Lithopolis Mayor's Court
11820 Lithopolis Road Northwest
Lithopolis, Ohio 43136
Phone: (614) 837-2031
Fax: (614) 837-2722
Pickerington Mayor's Court
100 Lockville Road
Pickerington, Ohio 43147
Phone: (614) 837-3974
Fax: (614) 833-2210
Criminal Records Access in Fairfield County
A person's criminal record provides a comprehensive report about their progress through different criminal justice processes. These processes, recorded by different public bodies, include arrests, detention, criminal prosecution, incarceration, and post-conviction activities, such as parole.
One can contact local police authorities, such as the Sheriff's Office and police departments, to obtain arrest information. During the early stages of an alleged offender's arrest, their record can help loved ones locate them and arrange to meet their bail conditions. These details are usually provided by the Jail Bureau of the Sheriff's Office.
Court custodians, such as the clerks of the Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Court, can provide access to criminal cases, including arrest information from law enforcement and evidence from prosecutors and defendants.
For example, criminal case details available through the court's Case Inquiry Search tool include the defendant's date of birth and detention facility, original and amended charges, offense date and location, specific case events, dockets showing case filings and proceedings, and sentencing information.
However, obtaining a person's complete criminal history in one packet that contains details of their arrests through conviction, depending on their case outcome, involves using the Attorney General's background check service. However, the service is only available to certain employers, such as schools, day care centers, and healthcare facilities. Individuals can also run a background check to review their criminal histories.
Fairfield County Probate Records
The Fairfield County Juvenile and Probate Court, while a division of the Court of Common Pleas per Ohio's constitution, handles matters such as the probate of wills. It also oversees the administration of the estates of deceased persons, incapacitated adults, and minors. Other proceedings under the Probate Court's jurisdiction include certain eminent domain matters, the issuance of marriage licenses, the determination of sanity or mental competency, and adoptions.
The court provides an online portal called Case Search for reviewing cases filed since 1991, and another that contains information about probate matters from 1803 to 1995. The Case Records system, which users can search by name, attorney information, case number, and Judicial officer, displays the following:
- Case title, number, filing date, and status
- Name of judicial officer and other parties, including executors, decedents, defendants, and petitioners
- Case event description and dates
- Case documents
The historical records search tool allows people to search by name and case number, and the results show images of documents filed during the respective cases.
Fairfield County Family Court Records
Family court records in Fairfield County are created during cases such as divorce, child custody and visitation, legal separation, spousal support, and allocation of parental rights.
Information about these cases is viewable through the Case Inquiry system of the Court of Common Pleas. People can also use the Fairfield County Clerk of Courts' online public requestor Request for Court Recordings forms to order case documents, recordings, or transcripts.
However, some family case documents and information, especially child-related matters, are not available to the public.
Federal Court Records in Fairfield County
Federal court records are documents, case details, and other items filed and created during proceedings in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Cases under the court's jurisdiction include federal criminal prosecutions, cases where the federal government is a party, disputes between parties from different states, and lawsuits involving foreign entities.
One can search for federal records online using PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) or by approaching the federal court clerk's office.
