Jeff Richards has been a practicing attorney for 25 years
and maintains a private law office in Waynesville. He began his service as
magistrate for the Village of Waynesville Mayor’s Court in October of 1996.
Mr. Richards has also worked as magistrate for a number of other courts,
including Warren County Domestic Relations and Warren County Juvenile and
Probate. He is active member of the Waynesville community, previously serving
as President of the Chamber of Commerce, President of the Soccer Association
and Chairman of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival. Mr. Richards is certified by
the Ohio Municipal League to hear cases in Mayor’s Court.
STEPHANIE MORGAN, COURT & POLICE CLERK
Stephanie joined the village staff in October 2007, providing a variety of
clerical and administrative support functions for the Mayor's Court and the
Police Department. Duties include preparing court dockets and files,
maintaining a database of court proceedings, processing payments of fines, and
issuing summons and/or warrants. She also maintains police files and enters
citations into the Law Records Management System. On a personal note,
Stephanie graduated with honors from Ohio University and is married to
husband, Craig. She is an active magician and enjoys many other hobbies such
as making crafts, reading and exercising.
Bailiffs Terry Holmes & Jeff
Gilcher
Court Information
The court wants you to be
aware of your basic rights:
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The law requires
this court to bring you to trial within thirty days of the date charged.
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You are entitled to be
informed of the nature of the
charges filed against you; to read the affidavit or complaint filed against
you, and if you do not understand the nature of the charges, have them
explained to you.
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You have the
right to know the identity of the complainant.
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You have the
right to be represented by counsel.
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You have the
right to a trial by jury in certain cases. In this event, your case will be
transferred to the Warren County Municipal Court.
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You have the
right to be informed of the extent of possible punishment if convicted.
You can enter any
one of three pleas:
GUILTY
NO CONTEST
NOT GUILTY
A
plea of no contest is not an admission of guilt, but is an admission of
the truth of the facts stated in the affidavit. It is then for the court to
determine whether the admitted facts constitute the offense.
A plea of not
guilty should be entered if you dispute the facts stated in the affidavit or
feel they do not constitute the offense. A trial date will then be set.
If you plead
guilty, you will be given an opportunity to tell the court anything you feel
may mitigate or lesson the sentence.
As an operator of a
motor vehicle in the State of Ohio, you must prove that you have financial
responsibility (insurance coverage or other sufficient financial means).
If convicted of
a traffic offense, a record of the conviction will be sent to the Ohio
Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
If you do not
respond or appear for your case in court, a bench warrant will be issued.
As this is a
Mayor’s Court, you have a right to appeal any decision of the court within
10 days of the final disposition in the court. To appeal the case, it will
be necessary to complete the notice of appeal form with the clerk. This
will entitle you to a trial de novo (new trial) in the Warren County
Municipal Court located in Lebanon, Ohio.
BOND SCHEDULE
SERVICES
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