Judge Alison McCarty, Administrative Judge of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division spoke at the Akron Bar Association’s Bench Bar conference on Friday, October 3, 2025. She discussed the court and its role in the community, as it serves as the trial court of general jurisdiction for Summit County, handling felony criminal cases and money lawsuits over $15,000. The Court supports 10 judges, 7 specialized dockets, and more than 175 employees who are committed to ensuring fair and timely justice.
“In 2024, our court saw 12,781 incoming cases filed in the General Division. This represents a 9.1% increase from the previous year and a 54.7% increase over the last five years. When we talk about incoming cases, that number includes not just new filings, but also reactivations — cases reactivated from inactive status, cases transferred in, cases with a case type redesignation, and cases reopened following prior closure. In other words, this figure represents the full scope of our workload,” McCarty stated.
“The General Division now ranks 4th statewide in incoming cases per judge, and we have the highest per-judge caseload among Ohio’s ten most populated counties. To clarify, this means that, compared to other metropolitan jurisdictions, our judges are carrying the heaviest individual workloads in the state,” she explained.
To meet these challenges, the Court has implemented innovative case management strategies including Settlement Week, which allows parties to resolve civil disputes with volunteer attorney mediators, and the Ohio Court Backlog Reduction Program, which provides grant resources to pay for two experienced mediators. All in all, these initiatives are making a measurable difference in both civil backlog reduction and timeliness.
In 2024, the Court experienced a 27.9% decrease in over-age cases. Over-age cases are those that remain pending past the case processing time guidelines set by Superintendence Rule 39. By significantly reducing over-age cases, the court is moving more cases through the system in a timely way.
In addition, the court’s average monthly on-time rate improved by 3.7% in 2024, reaching the highest level in the last five years. The on-time rate measures the percentage of pending cases at the end of each month that are on track to be resolved within the time guidelines. Put simply, it’s a measure of how effectively the court is keeping cases on pace toward resolution. In 2024, that rate climbed above 90%, showing that it is both handling more cases and doing so more efficiently.
Finally, McCarty declared, “the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division, is carrying one of the most challenging caseloads in the state. Yet, thanks to dedicated judges, specialized dockets, and innovative management strategies, we are making measurable progress, reducing backlogs, improving timeliness, and ensuring that justice in Summit County is both fair and efficient.”
For more information about the Court of Common Pleas General Division, please visit https://www.summitcpcourt.net/.