Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

The Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is dedicated to effectively representing the citizens of Hamilton County, its governmental agencies and elected officials as authorized by the laws of the state of Ohio.

 

To find out if a person is in jail, please contact the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Records, at (513) 946-6300.

The Prosecutor’s Office is not permitted to provide legal advice to the general public. If you seek more information you may contact the Public Defender’s Office at (513) 946-3700, or the Cincinnati Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service at (513) 946-8213.

The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office opens at 8:00 A.M. and closes at 4:00 P.M., excluding weekends and holidays.

Please contact the Hamilton County Clerk of Court by going to www.courtclerk.org. If you wish to call the Clerk’s Office, please call (513) 946-5675 for felony criminal cases or (513) 946-6010 for misdemeanor criminal cases.

If you are the victim of a crime or believe a crime has occurred, please contact the police department where the offense occurred. The police will investigate and file a complaint if sufficient evidence is found. These complaints are then forwarded to the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office for prosecution. Please note that you cannot drop charges after you have signed a complaint. Only the assistant prosecuting attorney, with the judge’s permission, can dismiss criminal charges.

Generally the prosecutor assigned to handle your case will meet with you outside of the courtroom where the case is scheduled. If your case is a felony or misdemeanor criminal case, they will be heard in the Hamilton County Courthouse. Look at the subpoena you received for the location of the court appearance. Generally the judge’s name, courtroom number and the prosecutor’s name appear on your subpoena. Please wait outside the assigned courtroom at the assigned time and the prosecutor will contact you.

A victim advocate is an employee of the Prosecutor’s Office who provides assistance to victims of crime. The advocate acts as a liaison between the victim or witness and the assistant prosecuting attorney. Advocates understand the criminal process and will attempt to explain each step of the criminal process to the victim or witness and answer any questions they might have.

More information on Victim & Witness Advocate Program

It is not necessary for you to have an attorney present if you are a victim or witness on a pending criminal case. The assistant prosecuting attorney handling your case will pursue the criminal charges. However, you may retain your own personal attorney if you so desire.

Employers will generally permit subpoenaed witnesses to appear in court without any job related problems; however, it is recommended that you contact your human relations department. You will receive a witness fee for appearing, provided the assistant prosecuting attorney has authorized payment.

If you are subpoenaed to court as a victim or witness and you do not appear, the judge assigned to the case may not permit a continuance and the case will be dismissed. If you are the defendant and you fail to appear in court, a warrant will be issued for your arrest.

If you receive a subpoena you are required by law to appear as instructed. A subpoena is an order by a Court requiring you to appear for a scheduled court date. If you refuse to appear, the Court does have the authority to issue an order for your arrest.

More information on Subpoenas