THE CLERK OF COURTS:
WORKING FOR YOU
Since his first day in office, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh has been focused on improving transparency, increasing accessibility, and fostering innovation to reduce barriers to justice for all in Hamilton County.
There are many reasons people might be involved with the court system. Pavan wants to work in the court for the long term and has goals to turn the system around and make it more efficient for residents of Hamilton County. He will catch our system up to the rest of those in the state of Ohio. This will take a concerted effort of everyone involved in the justice system, and Pavan has the experience, the vision, and the willingness to bring everyone together to make it happen.
So far, Pavan has made significant strides in increasing access to justice in this short time he has been in office, including:
-
Enacted a new policy for evictions older than 3 years where the judgments have been satisfied to be removed from the clerk of courts online search ensuring easier access to rent applications for tenants while maintaining the ability for landlords to screen potential tenants;
-
Created a new streamlined process for citizens to apply for civil protection orders (also referred to as stalking or restraining orders) through an online system making it more time saving and cost-effective for police officers out in the field and for judges handling these type of cases;
-
Entered into a new partnership that makes translation services more available, as well as a victims advocate, for people who need to file a restraining order and English is not their first language; and
-
Continually meeting with constituents, magistrates, judges, and nonprofits who work with vulnerable communities to learn their feedback about the court system and the courthouse.
-
Expanded the Hamilton County Help Center into Juvenile Court, hiring a new attorney who assists those with custody issues in that court.
-
Improved access to court records by making more records available online automatically through a redaction process.
-
Increased transparency in the Clerk’s Office operations by releasing a first-ever annual report to the public.
What Does Pavan See for the Future?
Let's save police time on paperwork by eliminating inefficiencies. Let's ensure citizens involved in the system have quick access to documents in which they are a party to the case. Let's lighten the load for judges by creating a system where there are fewer mistakes, and new processes to remind people of their court cases and times, so they have time to work on the cases that need careful attention. Let’s make the courthouse a less intimidating place and put your tax dollars to work for the betterment of Hamilton County.
Pavan is working on myriad improvements to our courts, including:
-
Innovating a system to increase transparency for the public through more access to cases on the court clerk online search outside of press and attorneys.
-
Soliciting feedback from all visitors to the courthouse to hear about what the Clerk of Courts office is doing well and what we can improve.
-
Updating the Clerk of Courts website which is one of the most heavily trafficked websites in the county making it easier to navigate and find the information and resources you need.
-
Expanding the work of the Hamilton County Municipal Court Help Center, which helps people without an attorney navigate the courthouse, by bringing in new partners and launching new initiatives.
-
Decreasing failures-to-appear in court by implementing a texting reminder process
-
Continuing to expand the work of the Hamilton County Help Center, which helps people without an attorney navigate the courthouse, by bringing in new partners and launching new initiatives.
-
Decreasing failures-to-appear in court by implementing a texting reminder process
-
Bringing the legal community together for a day to serve our military veterans in Hamilton County who may be experiencing legal issues
-
Sharing more information about our services out in the community through resource fairs and other outreach events
