2022 review for Tuscarawas County courts: Most cases tied to drug issues

Nancy Molnar, The Times-Reporter
·3 min read
In Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court, more than 300 sentencings conducted in 2022 were for drug offenses.
In Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court, more than 300 sentencings conducted in 2022 were for drug offenses.

The majority of crimes handled by local courts spring from drug-related causes, according to the most recent annual reports from three courts in Tuscarawas County.

In Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court, more than 300 sentencings conducted in 2022 were for drug offenses, according to the report from Judges Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos and Michael J. Ernest. The next highest category, theft and fraud, figured in just over 100 sentencings. There were more than 50 sentencings for sex offenses, the third highest category.

Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos imposes a sentence in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court. More than 300 sentencings conducted in the court in 2022 were tied to drug offenses.
Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos imposes a sentence in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court. More than 300 sentencings conducted in the court in 2022 were tied to drug offenses.

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Common pleas court saw criminal filings rise more than 10% from 2021 to 2022, when there were 437 new cases. The highest number came in 2019, when felony filings spiked to 544 before dropping to 477 in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. The category includes indictments and extraditions.

New Philadelphia Municipal Court cases down

New Philadelphia Municipal Court saw a decline in the number of cases last year. In 2022, the court handled a total of 8,747 cases, a decrease of 5.17% from the 9,224 cases handled in 2021, according to its annual report.

Tuscarawas County Court's South District court cases up

In contrast, Tuscarawas County Court's Southern District in Uhrichsville saw rising numbers. Its most recent annual report said 3,021 cases were filed last year, an increase of 184 from 2021, or 6%. In the latest annual report, now-retired Judge Brad L. Hillyer wrote that the court saw the second straight year of rising case numbers in 2022.

Both southern district court and municipal court handle traffic offenses, misdemeanors and preliminary hearings on felonies.

"Drug and alcohol addiction and driver's license issues remain at the top of the problems the court addresses on a daily basis," wrote Hillyer, whose retirement took effect Jan. 9. "Methamphetamine remains a prominent issue in the county and it appears to be laced with fentanyl and other drugs which are causing the deaths. Methamphetamine currently does not have an effective treatment."

Tuscarawas County Court's Southern District in Uhrichsville saw rising case numbers in 2022. Its most recent annual report said 3,021 cases were filed, an increase of 6%. Judge Brad L. Hillyer retired.
Tuscarawas County Court's Southern District in Uhrichsville saw rising case numbers in 2022. Its most recent annual report said 3,021 cases were filed, an increase of 6%. Judge Brad L. Hillyer retired.

Writing in the annual report for municipal court, Judge Nanette DeGarmo Von Allman made a similar statement.

"Our communities, and the New Philadelphia Municipal Court, continue to face many challenges in dealing with crime directly related to substance abuse and mental health issues," she wrote.

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Municipal court has territorial jurisdiction in New Philadelphia and Dover, and within Wayne, Franklin, Lawrence, Sandy, Sugarcreek, Dover, Fairfield, Warren, Auburn, York, Goshen, Bucks and Jefferson townships in Tuscarawas County.

Southern district court, in Uhrichsville, serves Clay, Mill, Oxford, Perry, Rush, Salem, Union, Warwick and Washington townships including Uhrichsville, Dennison, Gnadenhutten, Port Washington, Newcomerstown, Tuscarawas and portions of Midvale and Roswell.

In addition to handling traffic cases, misdemeanors and preliminary hearings on felony cases in their territorial jurisdictions, southern district court and municipal court court hear civil matters in which the disputed amount is $15,000 or less. They handles eviction, landlord/tenant matters and small claims.

Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.

On Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Tuscarawas County court reports show most cases involve drugs