Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 2931.03 (2026)

Criminal jurisdiction - common pleas courts

✓ current as of May 2026
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The court of common pleas has original jurisdiction of all crimes and offenses, except in cases of minor offenses the exclusive jurisdiction of which is vested in courts inferior to the court of common pleas.

A judge of a court of common pleas does not have the authority to dismiss a criminal complaint, charge, information, or indictment solely at the request of the complaining witness and over the objection of the prosecuting attorney or other chief legal officer who is responsible for the prosecution of the case.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 233 cases (118 in the last 5 years), 1955–2026 · leading case: State v. Harper (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 2913 (Ohio 2020).
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State v. Harper (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 2913 (Ohio 2020). · cites it 4× “{¶ 25} The General Assembly exercised that power in enacting R.C. 2931.03, which provides that “[t]he court of common pleas has original jurisdiction of all crimes and offenses, except in cases of minor offenses the exclusive jurisdiction of which is vested in courts inferior to…”
State v. Henderson (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 4784 (Ohio 2020). · cites it 2× “” R.C. 2931.03. This includes subject-matter jurisdiction over felony cases.”
State v. Williams (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 7658 (Ohio 2016). · cites it 2× “” {¶ 79} With regard to criminal cases, R.C. 2931.03 provides: “The court of common pleas has original jurisdiction of all crimes and offenses, except in cases of minor offenses the exclusive jurisdiction of which is vested in courts inferior to the court of common pleas.”
State v. Smith (Slip Opinion), 2022 Ohio 274 (Ohio 2022). · cites it 3× “23; R.C. 2931.03 (common-pleas-court jurisdiction with regard to criminal cases).”
State ex rel. Mobarak v. Brown, 2024 Ohio 221 (Ohio 2024). · cites it 8× “R.C. 2931.03 provides that basis, granting the courts of common pleas “original jurisdiction [over] all crimes and offenses, except in cases of minor offenses the exclusive jurisdiction of which is vested in courts inferior to the court of common pleas.”
State ex rel. Thomas v. McGinty (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 5452 (Ohio 2020). · cites it 2× “This court denied the writ, holding that the order was issued in connection with a criminal offense that was within the court’s original subject- matter jurisdiction under R.C. 2931.03. Id. at 53 . 3. Judge McGinty does not dispute appellants’ underlying premise that his…”
Pratts v. Hurley, 102 Ohio St. 3d 81 (Ohio 2004). “However, he contends that the different statutory procedures for death penalty cases create a unique form of jurisdiction in the common pleas courts that must be followed in order for the trial court to acquire subject-matter jurisdiction in those cases.”
Smith v. Sheldon (Slip Opinion), 2019 Ohio 1677 (Ohio 2019). “But because a common pleas court has subject-matter jurisdiction over felony cases, R.C. 2931.03, the trial court had jurisdiction to sentence Smith and to determine whether R.”
State v. Gilbert (Slip Opinion), 2014 Ohio 4562 (Ohio 2014). · cites it 2× “” Pursuant to R.C. 2931.03, a court of common pleas “has original jurisdiction of all crimes and offenses, except in cases of minor offenses the exclusive jurisdiction of which is vested in courts inferior to the court of common pleas.”
State ex rel. Reynolds v. Kirby, 2023 Ohio 782 (Ohio 2023). · cites it 2× “R.C. 2931.03 and 2305.01 give common pleas courts jurisdiction over all but the most minor criminal offenses and civil cases.”
Robert Bright v. Gallia Cnty., Ohio, 753 F.3d 639 (6th Cir. 2014). “2d 674 (2013) (sanctioning Judge Evans for his behavior toward Bright), but Judge Evans and the Court of Common Pleas had sub *650 ject-matter jurisdiction over the underlying criminal proceedings, see Ohio Rev. Code § 2931.03. As a result, we cannot say that Judge Evans acted “…”
State v. Hudson (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 3849 (Ohio 2020). “See Article IV, Section 4(B), Ohio Constitution; R.C. 2931.03; Harper at ¶ 23; Pratts, 102 Ohio St.”
Show all 233 citing cases →
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2931.03(B) — 1 case
State v. Steele, 2011 Ohio 5479 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2931.03(C)(4) — 1 case
State ex rel. Robinson v. Page, 2024 Ohio 4468 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).
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