Municipal courts handle traffic cases and misdemeanors, and they're the first stop in the court system for those charged with felonies. In Cuyahoga County, there are 13 such courts doing roughly the same work. Would it be more efficient and cost effective to combine them into one central muny court? Or does the current system better serve communities? We'll discuss municipal court consolidation with two common pleas judges who say now is the time to examine the idea and with a municipal court judge who says other, more pressing court reforms should come first. Finally, will you pay more at the pump? We’ll check in with the team at the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau.
Judge John Russo, Administrative and Presiding Judge; Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
Judge David Matia, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
Judge KJ Montgomery, Shaker Heights Municipal Court
Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV