Division Information

The authority of the county office of Prosecuting Attorney comes from Chapter 309 of the Ohio Revised Code.  Under this chapter, the prosecuting attorney has authority to “inquire into” crimes committed within the county.  The prosecuting attorney prosecutes or defends all cases arising within the county where the State of Ohio or a county official is a party.  This includes both criminal and civil cases.

The Wood County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is composed of three main divisions and two supporting divisions.  The Criminal Division, Juvenile Division and Civil Division each have a distinctive function and separate duty.  The Youth Services Division, or C.Y.C.L.E. Program and the Victim/Witness Services Division assist in the overall goal of the office.

Criminal Division

The most well-known aspect of the office, The Wood County Prosecuting Attorney’s Criminal Division prosecutes all felony offenses committed by adults in Wood County.  Comprised of five criminal prosecutors and two part-time appellate attorneys, the Criminal Division is the only agency in the county that prosecutes these most serious crimes.  A felony is an offense that, generally, can result in a sentence of one or more years in prison.  Misdemeanor offenses are generally less serious in nature than felonies and typically result in a sentence less than one year, typically served in a local jail facility.

The attorneys of the Criminal Division follow a case from beginning to end.  Aside from some appearances in municipal court and most cases before the court of appeals, assistant prosecutors are assigned to a case and follow it from presentation to the Wood County Grand Jury through trial or other disposition.  Under Paul Dobson’s administration, each attorney has been assigned an area of criminal law upon which to focus.  While all of the attorneys are capable of prosecuting the various types of crime, this focus allows the office to be on “cutting edge” of legal issues. This provides the attorneys with a resource person to assist with new or unique challenges in a particular case.

Civil Division

The three attorneys assigned to the Wood County Prosecuting Attorney’s Civil Division provide legal representation to the offices of Wood County’s sixteen elected county officials and the departments they oversee.  Further, they represent many agencies within the county, such as Wood County’s libraries, the Wood County Health District, Wood County Job and Family Services, Wood County ADAMHS Board, Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and the Wood County Educational Service Center.  Additionally, they represent many of the Wood County School Districts and eighteen of the nineteen Townships and their trustees and fiscal officers.  These officials and agencies are set by statute as essentially the only “clients” the office may have.  The civil division is not authorized to give legal opinions to individual citizens on private matters.

Representation of the public offices takes two primary forms.  The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office directly represents the officials and agencies, acting as legal counsel during the negotiation or evaluation of contracts, advising them on specific legal matters, and prosecuting or defending actions involving the officials in state or federal court.  Additionally, the county prosecutor’s office is often called upon to render a legal opinion as to a certain action or issue an official or agency is contemplating.  In these instances, the attorneys of the Civil Division will research the issue and prepare a written opinion, setting out the office’s position on the issue and the legal basis for its advice.

Juvenile Division

The Juvenile Division of the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office has two main functions.  Two of the prosecutors in that division prosecute all juvenile (persons under the age of 18 years) offenders before the Wood County Juvenile Court, both felony and misdemeanor offenders.  Like the Criminal Division, these prosecutors are assigned to a case from beginning to end, often preparing the charges themselves.  In addition, the Juvenile Division can prosecute adults for misdemeanor level offenses with a child victim and has the exclusive duty to prosecute adults for contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a minor. 

The Juvenile Division performs diversions with at-risk youth and works with youth and their families to address issues within the home.  The Division also works in collaboration with local law enforcement, schools and other agencies to help promote healthy lifestyle choices by minors and to proactively address issues facing the youth of Wood County.

In addition to these duties, a third attorney in the Juvenile Division prosecutes Abuse, Neglect and Dependency cases on behalf of the Wood County Department of Job and Family Services.  These are cases where the child protection workers at WCJFS have determined that court action may be necessary to fulfill their mission of promoting the protection and safety of children, and the well-being of the family.

Victim/Witness Services

The two employees of the Victim/Witness Services Division of the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office act as a support, information, and assistance provision system for those affected by crime.  Because of court, trial and other related commitments, being able to promptly respond to questions or concerns of the public can be a difficult task for prosecutors.  The employees of this division can act as liaisons between a crime victim and the attorney assigned to the case.  Additionally, this division sends out regular notices to victims regarding the status of their pending cases.  Prompt response to any information requested in these notices can assist in the likelihood of a favorable and efficient result.

The employees of the Victim/Witness Services Division can provide information and guidance regarding programs for crime victims, such as the Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation Fund and the V.I.N.E. System.  These programs and others like them are designed to assist victims recover from the trauma of crime.  Further, this division works with victim advocates from other agencies to ensure that those affected by crime are aware of their rights as crime victims and the programs and services available to them.

Youth Services (C.Y.C.L.E. Program)

It is the mission and goal of the Wood County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to achieve justice for all people and to be responsive to the needs and concerns of those impacted by crime in our community.  To achieve these goals, the office has historically supported programs which promote cooperation with the community it serves.  The focus has primarily centered on youth, with the idea being that a relationship established at an early age will continue to flourish.  This ideal was the foundation for the creation of the Youth Services Division. While embracing this concept, Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson sees equal validity and importance in promoting a well-informed public and law enforcement community.  To that end, he has expanded the Youth Services Division to the C.Y.C.L.E. Program (Cooperating with Youth, Community, and Law Enforcement).

The Director and Assistant Director of the C.Y.C.L.E. Program maintain many of the same youth-oriented activities of the past, including Peer Mediation (the Face 2 Face Program), the JuMP Program (Juvenile Mediation Program), Youth Olympics, and Gang Task Force.  In addition, Prosecuting Attorney Dobson has established the Teen Court Program in cooperation with Judge David Woessner of the Wood County Juvenile Court.  This program diverts some first time juvenile offenders to a system where teen peers from around the county determine the penalties and/or programs that will best respond to the offense and rehabilitate the offender.

In addition to these youth–oriented programs, Prosecutor Dobson has established a notification system where law enforcement from throughout the county can be updated as to changes in the law and court decisions that affect their work.  His staff is currently working on programs which will inform the public of activities within the office and updates on protection and safety matters.