Jury trials are rare and are only conducted at the request of a defendant. The courtrooms of municipal judges are smaller than those of common pleas judges, said Hamilton County Court Administrator Mike Walton. In municipal court, the toughest misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in county jail. Those convicted of felonies, for the most part, go to state prisons. The only time a felony case appears in a municipal court is during a case's initial entry into the court system.
Municipal judges preside over arraignments and determine preliminary bond amounts.
Once these steps are completed, cases with more serious charges are kicked up to common pleas court. Voice your opinion with our online form. The Cincinnati Enquirer , a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper.