The Democratic backers of a new Ohio Senate bill hope to relieve the heavy case load of Franklin County's judges and speed up case resolutions as population grows.
Senate Bill 471 would add two judges to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division, which currently employs 17 judges. Under the legislation, the new judges would be elected in 2028 and take the bench in 2029.
The bill, introduced Sept. 14 by Sens. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) and Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), has not yet reached a Senate committee in the Republican-controlled legislature.
Franklin County ranks No. 1 in highest pending cases per judge in the state, according to a policy brief provided by DeMora. On average, each Franklin County Common Pleas judge had a docket
of 761 pending civil and criminal cases in 2025, DeMora told The Dispatch.
"That's way too many," DeMora said. "Some civil trials are taking three years to come to fruition, and that's far too long."
The average in Cuyahoga County, which has a smaller population than Franklin, was 452 cases for its 34 judges.
Franklin County's population grew 13.8% between 2010 and 2020, reaching 1.32 million, according to the policy brief. Projections from the Ohio Department of Development and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission place the county population between 1.49 and 1.67 million by 2050. Total case filings rose 26.5% between 2020 and 2025.
Criminal cases take precedence by rule over civil cases, DeMora said, creating lengthy backlogs for civil trials.
"It slows down the justice system," DeMora said. "And people aren't getting the justice they deserve or need by having to wait so long because there's such a backlog of cases because we don't have enough judges to do them."
The Dispatch previously reported on the court's "bureaucratic backlog," where about 35% of the criminal cases filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court take longer than the Ohio Supreme Court's recommended six-month time frame for resolution, the second-highest percentage in the state.
An independent analysis conducted by the Supreme Court of Ohio in March found that the Franklin County court has experienced growth in its incoming civil caseload over the past four years, and future population growth in the county will be "substantial," among other data points.
"This bill will not just provide relief to our courts, but will also ensure that the system is accessible to all and that justice is served effectively and efficiently," Craig said in an email statement.
Adding one judge, as well as the staff, technology and other needs, is expected to cost about $1 million a year, the Dispatch previously reported. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners has committed to funding the county’s portion of the judgeships, including all associated staffing costs, the brief states. Additionally, the existing courthouse can accommodate two additional courtrooms without capital construction or renovation.
"The Commissioners have expressed enthusiastic support of creating two new judgeships in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas," County Spokesperson Molly Thrasher said in an email. "However, no formal action has been taken and new, dedicated funding lines have not been created, yet. The County was allowing the Senate to go through their process first."
Besides the court itself, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Columbus Bar Association, Franklin County Public Defender, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor, Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O'Shaughnessy and Central Ohio Association for Justice support the addition of two judgeships, according to the policy brief.
DeMora hopes to get the bill through the lame duck session, either as a standalone bill or part of unrelated legislation that lawmakers typically pack with policy changes at the end of the two-year session.
Dispatch Reporter Nora Igelnik can be reached at nigelnik@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Senate bill would bring more judges to Franklin County as caseload rises
