New Philadelphia Municipal Court reports 7,437 cases in 2025

The New Philadelphia Municipal Court handled 7,437 new cases in 2025, a slight increase from 7,202 cases in 2024, Judge Nanette DeGarmo Von Allman said in the court’s annual report dated Feb. 27.

The court, created by the Ohio General Assembly in 1975 and opened Jan. 1, 1976, is marking its 50th year of operations, Von Allman said 2025 marked her 14th year as judge and reiterated a commitment to “prompt, fair and impartial administration of justice.”

Court officials pointed to ongoing challenges tied to substance abuse, mental health issues and homelessness, and said they continued to expand programming intended to improve outcomes for people in the justice system. The court’s Municipal Recovery Court and pretrial supervision program provide monitoring through the probation department in collaboration with local law enforcement and treatment agencies, the report said.

Case breakdown and jurisdiction

Of the 7,437 cases terminated in 2025, the report listed:

• 4,362 other traffic cases

• 1,471 criminal misdemeanors

• 511 OVI cases

• 790 general civil cases

• 200 felony cases

• 103 small claims cases

The report also cited 131 domestic violence cases — 96 misdemeanors and 35 felonies — and 22 temporary protection orders issued.

The New Philadelphia Municipal Court has territorial jurisdiction within New Philadelphia and Dover, and in multiple Tuscarawas County townships, according to the clerk of court report. In civil matters, the court’s jurisdiction generally covers claims under $15,000 and includes certain Bureau of Motor Vehicles appeals, evictions and small claims cases up to $6,000.

Technology and compliance updates

The court reported several operational changes and technology upgrades paid for with court funds:

• Courtroom recording system: The court replaced an “obsolete” recording system with new software, cabling, speakers and additional microphones. The report said the upgrades improve sound clarity, assist hearing-impaired individuals, allow immediate replay and strengthen archival retrieval.

• E-filing: The report said Ohio’s S.B. 94 required courts to develop and implement electronic filing by July 2025. Court officials said they updated their case management system to support e-filing, scanning and online document viewing, with an incremental rollout after testing conversion accuracy.

• Law enforcement reporting compliance plan: The court developed a compliance plan required by the Supreme Court of Ohio to ensure timely and accurate reporting to systems including BCI and LEADS. The report said existing protocols were already meeting quality assurances for items such as fingerprints, protection orders, BMV convictions and sealed and expunged records.

The court also converted a vacant magistrate’s office into an attorney-client conference room, citing a need for private communications.

Building needs and funding

Von Allman said court officials delivered a detailed presentation to City Council and city administrators in February 2025 outlining priority needs for the building housing the court, including flooring, lighting and ADA-compliant restroom renovations, as well as broader concerns such as roof leaks, outdated plumbing and electrical issues, deteriorating floors and windows, and HVAC problems.

A proposal to use a combination of court funds and city capital improvement funds received no action from council, the report said. The report added that the court funds were later reallocated to the city’s general fund budget and warned that “future facility options” may need to be considered.

Money remitted and collections

The report said the court remitted $1,072,281.62 to the city and county in 2025 — $949,470.22 to the City of New Philadelphia, including special court funds, and $122,811.40 to Tuscarawas County, including law library and public defender fees.

Court receipts totaled $1,869,504.02 in 2025, up 5.69% from $1,768,843.38 in 2024. That total included $1,141,607.26 in criminal and traffic receipts and $727,896.76 in civil receipts.

The clerk’s report said the court uses payment plans for defendants seeking extra time to pay fines and costs, with a $25 payment plan fee, and refers some delinquent balances to collection agencies. The report said Capital Recovery Systems collected $13,988.08 in 2025, and the Ohio attorney general’s office collected $152,510.77 in 2025 under a delinquent debt collection agreement.

The court also reported $150,662.71 received in 2025 through CILOCS — contributions in lieu of community service — a program that allows eligible defendants to make a reasonable contribution instead of completing service hours.

Programs and public safety efforts

The report said the court continued partnerships to support supervision and treatment, including grant-supported enhanced drug testing services through Tuscarawas County Community Corrections and OhioAMS. In 2025, 2,868 urine drug screens were administered.

Other program highlights included:

• Municipal Court Work Program: The court said 136 nonviolent defendants served 678 days on the work program in New Philadelphia and Dover, performing cleanup and seasonal tasks in public areas. The report estimated the equivalent county jail cost would have been $104,493.36.

• Recovery Court: The New Philadelphia Municipal Recovery Court, first certified in 2015, was recertified through the end of 2026, the report said. In 2025, 10 people were referred; seven graduated and three were terminated. The report said 52 people have graduated since the program began and that 78% had no new criminal or alcohol- or drug-related offense within two years of graduation.

• Pretrial supervision: The court reported 478 jail screenings and 308 referrals to pretrial supervision in 2025, with a 90% successful completion rate. The report said the program is supported by a state grant and includes services such as electronic monitoring and a case manager through Ohio Guidestone’s P.R.O.P.S. program.

• Probation: The report said the probation department added 471 defendants to community control sanctions in 2025. The department supervised 505 active individuals Jan. 1, 2025, and 484 Dec. 31, 2025.

• Training: Von Allman reported presenting training on competency to stand trial and not guilty by reason of insanity during Tuscarawas County Crisis Intervention Training.

Online access and staff initiatives

The report said court records and services are available through the court’s website, including case searches, daily schedules and online payment options, plus an active warrants search page. The website was upgraded to be mobile-friendly, and computer upgrades and maintenance are paid for with funds generated from court costs.

Court employees also continued “Casual Fridays for Charity,” raising more than $700 in 2025 for a rotating list of charities.

Von Allman closed the report by thanking court staff and local partners and expressing an intent to continue working with city and county leaders.