Effective: March 23, 2018
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 8 - 132nd General Assembly
(A)(1) Each judge of a county court may appoint a bailiff on a full-time or part-time basis. The bailiff shall receive compensation as prescribed by the appointing judge, and the compensation is payable in semimonthly installments from the treasury of the county or other authorized fund. Before entering upon the duties of the office, a bailiff shall take an oath to faithfully perform those duties and shall give a bond of not less than three thousand dollars, as the appointing judge prescribes, conditioned on the faithful performance of the duties as bailiff.
(2) The board of county commissioners may purchase motor vehicles for the use of the bailiff that the court determines necessary to perform the duties of the office. The board, upon approval by the court, shall pay all expenses, maintenance, and upkeep of the vehicles from the county treasury or other authorized fund. Any allowances, costs, and expenses for the operation of private motor vehicles by the bailiffs for official duties, including the cost of oil, gasoline, and maintenance, shall be prescribed by the court and subject to the approval of the board and shall be paid from the county treasury or other authorized fund.
(B)(1) In a county court district in which no bailiff is appointed pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section, every deputy sheriff of the county, every police officer of a municipal corporation within the jurisdiction of the court, every member of a township or joint police district police force, and every police constable of a township within the county court district is ex officio a bailiff of the court in and for the county, municipal corporation, or township within which the deputy sheriff, police officer, police force member, or police constable is commissioned and shall perform, in respect to cases within that jurisdiction and without additional compensation, any duties that are required by a judge of the court or by the clerk of the court. In a county court in which a bailiff is appointed pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section, every deputy sheriff of the county is ex officio a bailiff of the county court, but shall not perform county court services similar to those performed by the sheriff for the court of common pleas unless those services are requested by the court.
(2) At the request of a county court judge, a deputy sheriff or constable shall attend the county court while a trial is in progress.
(C)(1) Except as provided in division (B)(1) of this section, a bailiff and an ex officio bailiff shall perform for the county court services similar to those performed by the sheriff for the court of common pleas and shall perform any other duties that are required by rule of court.
(2) The bailiff may administer oaths to witnesses and jurors and receive verdicts in the same manner and form and to the same extent as the clerk or deputy clerks of the county court. The bailiff may approve all undertakings and bonds given in actions of replevin and all redelivery bonds in attachments.
(D) Bailiffs and deputy bailiffs are in the unclassified civil service.