Akron Municipal Court handles many local matters, including felony cases that are handled through the county-level court system. Zachary Gilgenbach, assistant director of services advocacy with the Victim Assistance Program, explained how advocates help people understand the court process.

Court Structure

Akron Municipal Clerk of Courts Sandra Kurt discussed the structure of Ohio’s court system, which has four court levels. She also mentioned that Summit County is part of the Ninth District Court of Appeals, which includes several divisions that handle different types of civil and criminal cases.

Kurt shared resources to get legal help, including the clerk’s office and Summit Legal Defenders, the public defender’s office for Summit County. An attorney spoke about the work of Summit Legal Defenders, which represents people who cannot afford an attorney when they face criminal charges that could result in jail or prison time.

Summit County Common Pleas Court

Judge Joy Malek Oldfield, a Summit County Common Pleas General Division judge, spoke about the work of the Common Pleas Court, which handles felony cases and community control violation cases. She also discussed the adult felony drug court program, called Turning Point, which serves people charged with crimes who also need drug treatment and court supervision.

Original reporting: Signal Akron — read the source article.