Links to Resources:

• Southeastern Ohio Legal Services Now Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio

• Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati 

• Ohio State Bar Association Public Resources

• Ohio Public Defender

• Ohio Revised Code

• Ohio Administrative Code

• U.S. Constitution 

• Ohio Constitution 

• Ohio Supreme Court

  • Rules of Civil Procedure

  • Rules of Juvenile Procedure

  • Rules of Superintendence

  • Rules of Criminal Procedure

  • Rules of Evidence

  • Probate Forms 

  • Rules of Appellate Procedure 

• Adams County Sheriff Jail Inmate List 

Other Information

Evidence presented to the Court must be in a form that can be stored in the case file. 

1. Evidence at hearings 

   • Text messages, emails, and other forms of electronic communication must be reduced to 8 ½ x 11 paper. 

   • Voice mail or other audio recordings may be played into the record. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, it is the responsibility of the party submitting the recording to have a device that can play the recording at sufficient loudness that the parties in the courtroom can hear the recording. 

   • Digital photographs must be printed. If a party wishes to introduce a video recording, and unless otherwise ordered by the Court, the party introducing the recording must bring equipment capable of playing the recording with a sufficient screen size that the parties in the courtroom can see and hear the recording. A copy of the video recording shall be submitted to the Court in CD/DVD or other memory storage format for inclusion into the court files. 

   • Exhibits for Petitioner or Plaintiff shall use numbers and exhibits for the Respondent or Defendant shall use letters.  Contact the Court if there are multiple Plaintiffs or Defendants.

   • Evidence submitted will not be returned to the party submitting it.  

2. In most non-criminal cases, COURT COSTS DEPOSITS AND ANY OUTSTANDING COURT COSTS FROM PRIOR LITIGATION MUST BE PAID BEFORE ANY PLEADINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR FILING. An affidavit of indigency and a motion to waive the Court Cost Deposit must be filed in order to waive this requirement. You must meet Federal Guidelines for indigency or the motion will not be granted. Contact the Court when filing. 

3. ALL FILINGS ARE SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY THE COURT FOR COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY. INCOMPLETE, ILLEGIBLE, OR OTHER DOCUMENTS NOT CONFORMING WITH OHIO LAW AND RULES OF PROCEDURE MAY RESULT IN THE PLEADINGS BEING DISMISSED.

4. Remember to fill out the County Name (Adams) and the Division of the Court (Probate or Domestic Relations or Juvenile or General). The name of the Judge to be used on the forms is Brett M. Spencer. The name of the Magistrate to be used on the forms is David M. Hunter. All forms should be typewritten or legibly printed.