Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
If you have a criminal or probation case going before Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, you’ll be in front of highly reputable judges, so you’ll want to prepare your case as much as possible. The Ohio criminal defense attorneys at Patituce & Associates are highly familiar with the judges, procedures, and expectations of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. We have even tried several newsworthy cases in this specific court. Let us help you prepare for your day in court and represent you before the judge.
About Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
The Justice Center that houses the current Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court dates back to a small wooden courthouse first built in 1812. After several significant revisions and reconstruction projects throughout the 1800s and 1900s, the modern version that serves Cuyahoga County, Ohio, today was finally dedicated on September 17, 1976; the first hearing in the modern court was held that same day! It now serves all cities, towns, and municipalities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, including Cleveland, Lakewood, Parma, Westlake, Euclid, Solon, and many others.
- Address: 1200 Ontario Street, Cleveland, OH 44113, Floor 1, Civic Center District
- Phone number: (216) 443-8560
- Business hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (most weeks)
- More information: https://cp.cuyahogacounty.gov/
- Judges: https://cp.cuyahogacounty.gov/court-resources/judges/
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court is one of the largest Common Pleas Courts in the state. It currently boasts more than 30 judges. The judges on this bench are some of the most well-respected in Ohio, too, with many going on to the Eighth District Court of Appeals after a tour on this bench. Many of the judges are former felony prosecutors or defense attorneys, and most of the judges have real-world experience trying cases before getting on the bench.
Types of Cases Heard at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court hears a variety of cases, including criminal defense, probation, civil claims, and even foreclosure cases. At Patituce & Associates, we focus on criminal defense and probation cases, which happen to be the types of cases that the court statistically sees the most often. According to court records across the last several years, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court has received more than 12,000 criminal filings each year on average. Most of those cases are misdemeanor filings, but the court does often conduct preliminary hearings and bond hearings for felony cases.
Cases most often heard by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court include:
- Misdemeanors: Misdemeanor crimes in Ohio can include driving under the influence (DUI), criminal mischief, certain forms of assault, petty theft, trespassing, and more.
- Felonies: Felony crimes in Ohio are considered “more serious” than misdemeanors, even though both can result in extensive jail time. Examples of felonies include murder, drug trafficking, aggravated assault, robbery, and more.
- Traffic violations: Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court may handle your traffic violation case if you were pulled over for speeding, running a red light, or committing another unsafe traffic violation.
- Probation: Judges at this court can set the terms of probation after someone is convicted and sentenced, but usually only handle probation cases for first-time offenders who are charged with non-violent, non-drug-related crimes. The same judges can also hear probation violation cases to determine if the accused should be allowed to continue probation or go to jail or prison.
- Expungements: Removing or sealing parts of your criminal record through the expungement process will likely bring you before a judge of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
Award-Winning Firm
Do I Need a Criminal Attorney at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court?
Whenever you go before a judge at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, you will be expected to follow their rules and meet the court’s procedural expectations. If you do not, you could inadvertently delay or complicate your case. Some judges may even see you less favorably if you do not seem prepared to go before them and plead your case.
For this reason and many more, it is always recommended that you hire a criminal attorney from Patituce & Associates before going to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. We can fully prepare you for courtroom procedures and represent you before the court in any case type.
-
- Martha L.
Seeking representation for federal charges against my husband led me to engage with an attorney from this firm. Swiftly connected with Joe Patituce, we made the decision to enlist his services that very day, a choice we're grateful for.
-
- Cora B.
Their friendly and approachable team provided unwavering support. They worked diligently to build a robust defense, ensuring my side of the story was heard and considered!!!
-
- Former Client
Cate Purdum was present, attentive, always returned my calls (I had attorneys before who never call you back), answered my questions and never ignored my calls. If I ever need an attorney in the future I will definitely go back to her.
-
- Roberto M.
Catherine Meehan did an amazing job. Very responsive, friendly, and obviously very good with words. She kept me out of jail and home with my kiddo. For that I can't ever repay the favor. Much appreciated hope I never need your assistance again but if so I'll definitely give you a call. Thank you again.
-
- Thomas S.
I am very satisfied with Rachelle and Joe they were talking me through my whole case and when I told them I wanted a trial they agreed and said let’s go to trial with out hesitation they were very professional and I couldn’t ask for a better law firm to have my back in my court case thank you Rachelle and Joe I highly recommend them to everybody
-
- Levi G.
Joe helped my brother beat a serious RICO charge. He is simply the best criminal defense lawyer out there, and provides a clear-cut path to victory. I am extremely impressed and thankful for the hard work and dedication the team at Patituce & Associates put in on this case. It feels great to come out on the winning side, and not have to sweat a thing during the whole process. I highly recommend hiring Joe and his expert staff if you ever find yourself in any legal trouble. Thank you Joe!
-
So kind and helpful! Don’t know what I would’ve done without him. Joe was kind and informative throughout the whole- Maddy P.
-
- Glenn G.
I engaged Joe Patituce's services for my DUI case in Rocky River, and I couldn't have made a better choice. He and his team demonstrated excellence throughout, managing my case with remarkable skill and professionalism.
How Can Patituce & Associates Help Your Criminal Case at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court?
Attorney Joseph Patituce and Attorney Megan Patituce are former Cuyahoga County Prosecutors who served in the early 2000s. They both handled their first homicide trials in their early 20s, and they are now both in their 40s, which means they have decades of practice experience that specifically involves handling trials at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court or in Cuyahoga County. Overall, our law firm has handled thousands of cases and a high number of trials in this jurisdiction, including many cases that have had national media attention. If you want help with a case at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, you should feel immediately relieved by the extensive experience our legal team has had in this court throughout the years.
A few of the most prominent and newsworthy cases we have tried in this court are:
- State v. Tevin Biles-Thomas: Mr. Thomas was accused of triple murder with one of the victims being his cousin. The State offered Mr. Thomas a plea deal that would have put him in prison for more than 40 years, but Attorneys Joseph Patituce, Megan Patituce, and Catherine Meehan guided him through the trial. The first trial ended in a mistrial when the jury received material it should not have. The second trial ended in the exceedingly rare dismissal from the bench because the State had utterly failed to even put a gun in Mr. Biles-Thomas's hand.
- State v. Susan Smith: Ms. Smith was accused of both a hit skip and aggravated vehicular assault charge stemming from a motor vehicle accident that occurred when a motorcycle crossed into her lane of travel and caused the motorcyclist serious injury. Attorney Joseph Patituce tried this case, and through the use of his expert witness, demonstrated that, while Ms. Smith did drive around the corner from the accident location, she was in no way at fault for the accident. The jury agreed and found Ms. Smith not guilty of aggravated vehicular assault.
- State v. Thomas Caldwell: Mr. Caldwell was accused of rape and kidnapping. The State offered Mr. Caldwell the choice to plead guilty to one count of rape if he wished to resolve it before trial. This offer would have placed Mr. Caldwell in prison for up to 11 years and would have made him a lifetime offender. On the other hand, if he lost at trial he could face 33 years in prison and still be labeled a sexual predator for the rest of his life. Mr. Caldwell elected to go to trial. Attorneys Joseph Patituce and Catherine Meehan tried the case. The jury agreed that Mr. Caldwell did not rape the victim, nor kidnap her.
- State v. Anthony Bates: Mr. Bates was accused of the felonious assault of his then fiancé. The State accused Mr. Bates of violently pushing his fiancé to the ground where she purportedly hit her head. What the State left out of its presentation to the jury is that at the time she tripped, she had a blood alcohol level of over 0.23 g/dl, which is almost three times the legal limit. The State also left out that for months following the incident, she indicated she fell. At trial, the State's expert agreed with Attorney Joseph Patituce that the injuries were more consistent with tripping on her own than a push from another person. In addition, the EMS workers who arrived at Mr. Bates's call indicated that his behavior was normal and appropriate and that she was highly intoxicated. In the end, the jury did not have to decide this case because the judge, at Attorney Patituce's request, threw the case out once the State rested its case.
- State v. Brandon Harper: Mr. Harper was traveling eastbound in the Rocky River area when his vehicle struck another vehicle that was being driven by a woman with several occupants. The occupants of the other car all suffered serious injuries. The hospital reported that Mr. Harper's blood alcohol level was over 0.20 at the time he was transported. We were the second set of attorneys on this matter as the first told Mr. Harper he had no chance. In litigating this case, it was discovered that there were serious issues with the blood test, and at the evidentiary hearing on the matter, the judge agreed and threw out the blood tests; the State's expert agreed with Attorney Patituce that the original expert had no way of saying if the results were valid.
Let Patituce & Associates Provide Local Representation in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
Headed to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for a criminal defense or probation case? Don’t go without talking to Patituce & Associates first. Let our familiarity with this court, the judges, and the procedures be to your benefit. No matter what type of case you bring to us, we’ll stay committed to protecting your rights as both a client and a local member of our community.
See what our familiarity can do to help your case at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Call (440) 771-1175 or use an online contact form now.
