The jurisdiction of the Pataskala Mayor’s Court.

The Pataskala Mayor’s Court has jurisdiction over traffic offenses and other misdemeanors alleged to be in violation of the Pataskala Codified Ordinances or the Ohio Revised Code. This includes traffic offenses that occur in the City of Pataskala, like speeding, marked lane violation, failure to yield, etc.

The Pataskala Mayor’s Court convenes in the Pataskala City Hall every Thursday afternoon, excluding legal holidays, with arraignments starting at 3:00 p.m., and other court times being set thereafter depending on the posture of the case. The presiding magistrate over this court is the Honorable Charles (Kip) Kelsey. The Clerk of Court is Tonia McFerin. The Clerk of Court handles all court documents and payments to the court. If you have a traffic ticket pending in the Pataskala Mayor’s Court, then you may access information about your case by pressing the link to the court’s online portal here.

The legal process in the Pataskala Mayor’s Court.

Like other Mayor’s Courts, the Pataskala Mayor’s Court is not a court of record and has no authority to conduct jury trials. Otherwise, while less formal, the process for handling traffic and criminal cases in the Mayor’s Court is substantially similar to the process for handling these types of cases in Municipal Courts and Common Pleas Courts.

As to matters pending in the Pataskala Mayor’s Court, there will be an arraignment, during which the charges are read and a plea is entered. The plea may be “not guilty,” “guilty” or “no contest.” If the matter is not resolved with a plea agreement, then there will be a trial before the magistrate. The magistrate is the presiding judicial officer and will make rulings on evidentiary objections and other legal matters. The magistrate also is the finder of fact as there is no jury trial. This means that, like a jury, the magistrate will determine guilt or innocence. If a defendant is found to be guilty, then the magistrate will determine the ultimate sentence or outcome of the case.

One of the benefits of having a traffic ticket pending in the Pataskala Mayor’s Court is that a given defendant will have the opportunity to resolve his or her case in a less formal setting. If the case cannot be resolved at pre-trial in this Mayor’s Court, then under some circumstances the case may be transferred downtown to the Municipal Court with jurisdiction over the offense. Moreover, even if the defendant proceeds beyond pre-trial and is convicted in this Mayor’s Court, then the conviction may be appealed to the Municipal Court with jurisdiction over the offense.

Consult a Columbus lawyer about your traffic ticket in the Pataskala Mayor’s Court.

For legal assistance with your Pataskala traffic ticket, contact us at 614.695.5000 or online. Frequently a lawyer can appear in court and resolve a traffic case in the client’s absence, provided both the court and the prosecutor agree. This saves the client the aggravation of taking time off from work, fighting traffic to get to court on time, waiting for potentially hours for the case to be called, standing in long lines, and potentially having to do it all over again if the case is continued.