As Ohio University students return for Fall Quarter, the Athens County Municipal Court bustles with an increased case load.
This morning
already in court there were quite a few students in the hallway City Prosecutor Lisa Eliason said Tuesday, the first day of classes.
In August 2004, 600 cases were filed with the court. In September 2004, 1,101 cases were filed. Between August and September 2004, the number of criminal misdemeanor cases filed more than doubled, rising from 184 cases in August to 445 cases in September, said Pam Walton, Clerk of Courts. Criminal misdemeanors include underage drinking, disorderly conduct and public intoxication charges.
There are two reasons for the increased case load, Eliason said. First, cases are held while students are at home, leaving the court with cases from May or June to deal with in September. Second, enforcement increases at the students' return to school.
It's difficult to get students to come back for the summer. Eliason said. Also
witnesses aren't available during the summer
so we wait until the fall to settle the cases if it's something that happens in the late spring.
Ohio University's Center for Student Legal Services, which represents students in legal disputes for a quarterly fee, also will see an increase in cases.
We have a great deal of security cases coming in
said Pat McGee, the center's managing attorney. You have all these people who have not heard from their landlords or are disputing (the amount of security deposits) the landlord sent back.
Student Legal Services also sees an increase in cases because of increased police enforcement.
We have a tremendous number of underage cases and disorderly conduct cases. The police are quick to present their presence to show that law and order will be maintained in Athens
McGee said. Students come back
they don't know their rights
they don't know the process. We see an incredible increase in our representation.
Despite the increase in misdemeanors, more serious offenses typically do not increase with the start of classes. There has not been an increase in felonies, County Prosecutor C. David Warren said. Thirty felonies were filed in the Athens County Municipal Court in August 2004 and 15 felonies were filed in September, Walton said.
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