Bill would add 2 judges in Franklin County

The Ohio House kicked off hearings Wednesday on a bill that would add two Domestic Relations Court judges in Franklin County, increasing the total from five to seven.

The incoming caseload per judge in Franklin County's Domestic Relations and Juvenile courts is the largest of any major metropolitan area in the state. Adding two judges would reduce the incoming cases per judge to 5,589, still a heavier load than Cuyahoga, Summit and Montgomery counties, based on 2014 statistics.

Rep. Jim Hughes, R-Upper Arlington, said he expects the bill to move quickly.

Ohio Supreme Court employees, the county commissioners, the domestic-relations judges, the prosecutor and the public defender all support the additional judgeships.

The court handles cases including juvenile-delinquency offenses, divorces, civil protection orders, child custody and child support.

If the state legislature approves increasing the number of judges on the court to seven, candidates for the two new seats would appear on the 2018 ballot. The two winners would be the first new judges in Franklin County since a Common Pleas Court judge was added in 2005.

Domestic Relations/Juvenile Court judges in Ohio earn $127,450 annually, most of which is funded by the state. In Franklin County, each judge has a bailiff, staff attorney and judicial assistant, who roughly receive a combined $215,000 in salary and benefits funded by the county.

Sen. Charleta B. Tavares, D-Columbus, has introduced the same bill in the Senate. The current caseload, she said, is unacceptable.