The courts are the overseers of the law. They administer the law, resolve disputes under the law, and strive to apply the law in a fair and impartial manner. Ohio, like other states, is served by two separate court systems, state and federal.
Cases begin, and in most instances are resolved, in the trial court.
Ohio has several kinds of trial courts. Ohio also has the Court of Claims, which handles suits against the state or its agencies and claims by victims of crime. The common pleas court is the most important of Ohio's trial courts. Moreover, it is the only trial court which has the power to deal with certain matters, that is, it has exclusive jurisdiction in certain matters. Also, it has exclusive jurisdiction in probate, domestic relations, and juvenile matters.