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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio Senate Bill 471 adds two judges to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas
Last action · September 30, 2026: Referred to JudiciarySponsors: William P. DeMora and 4 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Ohio Senate Bill 471 amends section 2301.02 of the Revised Code to increase the total number of judges on the Franklin County from 24 to 26. The two new judges are scheduled to be elected in 2028, with their six-year terms beginning on February 1, 2029, and February 5, 2029, respectively.
Expands judicial capacity in Ohio's most populous central county, altering court staffing levels and election schedules for local judicial races.
- The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas is a state trial court of general jurisdiction located in Columbus, Ohio. context
- Ohio Senate Bill 471 was introduced during the 136th General Assembly regular session. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas
The court expands from 24 to 26 judges, altering its overall judicial capacity and administrative structure.
Franklin County voters
Voters will elect two additional common pleas judges during the 2028 general election cycle.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many judges does the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas currently have, and how many will it have under this bill?
When will the new judges be elected?
When do the terms of the newly created judges begin?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Sep 30, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- Sep 14, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Franklin County Judicial Expansion
The bill updates long-standing statutory allocations in the Ohio Revised Code to incrementally scale up judicial resources for Franklin County.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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