Gahanna, Ohio Mayor’s Court Information
Ohio law makes it a serious offense to get charged with drunk driving in Ohio, as no person shall operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or both. Ohio recognizes a “per se” law which makes it a crime to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level at or above the prescribed threshold level of .08. Ohio has also enacted zero tolerance laws that lower that level for underage drivers and high BAC laws that impose harsher penalties for those caught with levels of .17 and above.
The Mayor’s Court for Gahanna, Ohio, is located at 200 South Hamilton Road, Gahanna, Ohio 43230. You may reach their Clerk of Courts at the telephone number 614-342-4180.
It is the current standard practice of the City of Gahanna Mayor’s Court to hold hearings every Thursday at 9:00 a.m. The accused should make sure that they arrive early or at least on time.
Information about the City of Gahanna Mayor’s Court may be found at the link below: http://www.gahanna.gov/departments/mayorsCourt/default.aspx
Gahanna Mayor’s Court is held before an appointed Magistrate, who is a licensed practicing attorney and appointed by the Mayor. The Magistrate has the power to render guilty, not guilty, or no contest verdicts and also assess penalties for any verdict of guilt. Such penalties are usually in the form of fines and/or jail time, or both.
The Mayor’s Court of Gahanna can assign the following Maximum Penalties for offenses if you are convicted in their Mayor’s Court:
- Misdemeanor First Degree (M1) 180 Days $1000.00
- Misdemeanor Second Degree (M2) 90 Days $ 750.00
- Misdemeanor Third Degree (M3) 60 Days $ 500.00
- Misdemeanor Fourth Degree (M4) 30 Days $ 250.00
- Minor Misdemeanor (MM) No Jail Time $ 150.00
If for some reason the accused is not able to attend a scheduled court hearing, the accused must contact the Clerk of Court and request a continuance of the case. So long as the request is for a good cause, the Gahanna Mayor’s Court Clerk will usually re-schedule a case for a later date without assessing penalties.
However, any failure to appear for Gahanna Mayor’s Court on the appropriate date assigned by the Court may result in the issuance of an arrest warrant and a license block sent to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
The Mayor’s Court of Gahanna, Ohio, is not a court of record and the mayor or magistrate cannot conduct a jury trial. While it may be of some advantage to have your case heard in Gahanna Mayor’s Court, there may be some disadvantages as well. The lawyers and staff at BustedforDrunkDriving.com can advise you about whether you should keep your drunk driving case in the Mayor’s Court of Gahanna, Ohio.
