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Although Hamilton County did not directly participate in the Revolutionary War since it had not yet been formally organized, many solders retired to Hamilton County after the war and help settle the area. In addition, Hamilton County played a key role in supporting the Union during the Civil War, and the men and materiel civic leaders provided were instrumental in winning the war. Since that time, Hamilton County has become a major transportation hub and commerce center with a commitment to providing its citizens with a high quality of life. One of the court officials that keeps things running smoothly in Hamilton County is the Clerk of Courts whose role is described following an overview of Hamilton County below.
Organized in 1790 as just the second county in the Northwest Territory and named for then-Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton County is located in the southwest corner Ohio with its county seat in Cincinnati. The population of Hamilton County was just over 800,000 in 2010, making it the third-most populous county in the state. In 2010, the census of Hamilton County showed that there were 212,582 families in 346,790 households, with about70% being white, just over a quarter being African American with the remainder of the population being comprised of small percentages of Native Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. The median income level for a household in Hamilton County is $48,234 which compares favorably with the national median income of $51,939.
The tens of millions of visitors to Hamilton County each year are in for a real treat as well. Offering professional sports in football, baseball and soccer, as well as numerous museums and historical sites of interest, Hamilton County also features the world-famous Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, the Newport Aquarium and the recently opened The Banks mixed use project along the Ohio River in Cincinnati that offers two professional sports stadiums (for the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals), boat docks, gardens, bike trails, a carousel, playgrounds and much more. Golfers can enjoy seven public golf courses in the Cincinnati area which are supported by Great Parks of Hamilton County and each is run by a PGA professional who provides year-round lessons to golfers of all ages and ability. In addition, Hamilton County residents are rightfully proud of their well-maintained public parks and other recreational resources, including hiking trails, horseback riding opportunities, boating, golfing and just about anything that appeals to families of all shapes and sizes. In the event visitors or residents of Hamilton County receive a parking ticket or moving violation, though, they may need to use the services of the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts whose office is described below.
According to the definition provided by Black’s Law Dictionary, a clerk of the court is “an officer of a court of justice who has charge of the clerical part of its business, who keeps its records and seal, issues process, enters judgments and orders, gives certified copies from the records, etc.” The role of the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts closely mirrors this definition. For instance, the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts is assigned official recordkeeping responsibilities for the county as well as being the agent of Hamilton County’s Justice System. The Clerk of Courts provides the following services for residents, businesses and the courts in Hamilton County:
-Provides public access to the records of the Court in Hamilton County;
-Receives, distributes, and preserves official court documents of the Court of Common Pleas, Municipal Court as well as other courts that have appellate jurisdiction at the county level;
-Executes personnel responsibilities such as arrest, transportation of prisoners, subpoenas, evictions, and courtroom security in Municipal Court;
-Issues Certificates of Title for automobiles and boats;
-Processes traffic tickets; and
-Processes passport applications.
Most often, residents of Hamilton County visit one of the three offices of the Clerk of Courts for several reasons, including most especially filing applications for passports, contest a civil case or to pay for criminal and/or traffic fines.
Full address:
Mr. Aftab Pureval, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts
Hamilton County Courthouse
1000 Main Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone:
513-946-5656
Email:
clerk@cms.hamilton-co.org
Hours of operation:
Administration
Hamilton County Courthouse
1000 Main St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: 8AM- 4PM, Monday – Friday
Municipal Civil Clerk:
Hamilton County Courthouse
1000 Main St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: 8AM- 4PM, Monday – Friday
Municipal Criminal/Traffic Clerk:
Justice Center
1000 Sycamore St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: 8AM- 8PM, Monday – Friday
Bond Window/Police Attorney Counter: 24/7
Common Pleas Appellate Division:
230 East 9th St, 12th Floor
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: 8AM- 4PM, Monday – Friday
Domestic Relations Division:
800 Broadway St #347
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: 8AM- 4PM, Monday – Friday
Auto Title Division:
Cincinnati (Downtown):
1001 Main Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: 8AM – 4PM, Monday – Friday
Forest Park:
1216 Kemper Road
Forest Park, OH 45240
Hours: 8AM – 5PM, Monday – Friday / 8AM – 12PM, Saturday
Symmes Township:
12139 Royal Point Drive
Cincinnati OH 45249
Hours: 9AM – 5PM, Monday – Friday
(All Clerk of Courts office are closed on observed holidays)
With tons to see and do, Hamilton County is a family-friendly tourist destination that attracts tens of millions of visitors each year who want to take advantage of the wide array of professional sports and other recreational activities that are available. Although most citizens of Hamilton County only encounter the Clerk of Courts when they need passports, to contest civil actions or to pay traffic and/or criminal fines, the Clerk of Court also provides important services for the county’s courts including safekeeping its extensive legal records.