Criminal

Grand Jury Overview

The Stark County Grand Jury Section is responsible for presenting all cases bound over from the three municipal courts (Alliance, Canton, and Massillon) and the juvenile court. Cases that may involve offenses of murder, sexual child abuse, physical child abuse, drugs, criminal non-support, or any other felony crime where the suspect has not been arrested are presented to the Stark County Grand Jury.

A direct indictment program was created to expedite felony cases between the municipal courts and the grand jury.  This program was designed to do the following:

• Relieve municipal courts of felony hearings
• Eliminate law enforcement officers from testifying at the preliminary hearings
• Reduce pre-trial jail time
• Free bed space in the Stark County Jail
• Save costs for the county and city

This is done by by-passing the preliminary hearing held in the municipal courts and sending the case directly to the grand jury.  Originally with a bind-over case the defendant has a preliminary hearing within ten days of the arrest and the case, if probable cause is found, is bound-over to the Stark County Grand Jury.  The Grand Jury Section will then prepare the case for hearing.

The grand jury consists of fourteen members that are randomly chosen from the Stark County voters list.  Currently there are four separate grand juries that meet one day a week for three months.  Thereafter, new grand juries are picked.  Approximately 2500 cases are heard each year in the Grand Jury.

If a felony true bill indictment is issued and an arraignment hearing is scheduled in the Stark County Common Pleas Court, the defendant may plead guilty, no contest or not guilty.  The case is then sent to the criminal division’s trial section.

A misdemeanor true bill indictment is transferred back to the municipal court or juvenile court from which it came.

A no bill case means that the case has been dismissed and the defendant is released from those charges.

Trial Overview

The Criminal Division of the Stark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is responsible for prosecuting all felony offenses that occur within Stark County, Ohio.  The division is comprised of assistant prosecuting attorneys who are assigned to each of the courtrooms in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas.  All of the Criminal Division attorneys handle every aspect of the prosecution - from the presentation of cases to a Grand Jury and the indictment process, through the resolution of the case by a plea or a trial.  During each phase of this process, the assistant prosecutors meet with the witnesses and victims involved in each case and discuss various aspects of the proceedings.  The Trial Section attorneys continue to represent the State of Ohio in many post conviction hearings, such as sentencing, probation revocation, judicial release and other hearings.  The prosecutors are also called upon to assist various law enforcement agencies in obtaining search warrants.  The yearly volume of approximately 2,000 indicted cases, which has steadily increased, includes all types of felony offenses ranging from non-violent and/or drug related offenses to violent offenses including murder and capital murder cases.

Domestic Violence Unit

The attorneys of the Domestic Violence Unit prosecutes cases involving physical harm to family or household members.  Domestic violence becomes a felony offense if the perpetrator has a prior conviction, either a misdemeanor or felony, for domestic violence.

The Domestic Violence Unit is supported in part by federal funding administered through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.

The Child Abuse Unit

The Child Abuse Unit is comprised for two assistant prosecutors and one victim advocate who exclusively prosecute cases involving child victims. Most commonly this means the cases are related to child sexual abuse however the unit also handles cases of severe physical abuse rising to the felony level. The unit works close with the Stark County Children’s Network which holds weekly multidisciplinary team meetings where prosecutors collaborate on cases with social workers, medical professionals, mental health providers and law enforcement.

Drug Court

The CHANCE program is designed to break the cycle of addiction so that offenders can become productive members of society.  The program is a minimum of one year and consists of intensive counseling, urine screens, and attendance at 12-step meetings. Upon successful completion of the CHANCE program, the offender will be employed and his/her felony case is dismissed.

Ohio Victims' Rights Laws (Also Known as Marsy's Law)

Marsy’s Law, named for Marsy Nicholas who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1983, was enacted by voters in November 2017 as an amendment to Ohio's Constitution. California was the first state to adopt Marsy's Law in 2008; Ohio was the sixth state to adopt the constitutional amendment, also known as the Ohio Crime Victim's Bill of Rights. Most recently, Ohio legislature passed House Bill 343 and Senate Bill 16 to expand the implementation of victims’ rights. For a list of rights, please click here.

Division Chief

The Stark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is not an intake service. The information contained on this website is provided as a courtesy and does not constitute legal advice.