Toledo Municipal Court- Toledo Ohio

Lucas County Municipal Court, Located in Toledo Ohio

Toledo & Lucas County Criminal Defense | Direct Attorney Access: 330-265-6016

Facing criminal charges in Toledo requires an aggressive defense strategy built on Ohio state law and constitutional protections. While administrative procedures vary by courthouse, the fundamental rights guaranteed to the accused remain identical across every courtroom in Ohio.

Attorney Emmanuel Makris provides dedicated, trial-focused representation for clients facing state and municipal charges throughout Ohio, including Toledo and Lucas County. Operating with a transparent, flat-fee pricing model, Attorney Makris personally handles every phase of your defense—ensuring you have direct access to your attorney from initial arraignment through the final resolution of your case.

Effective legal advocacy requires applying rigorous, evidence-based defense strategies to the specific venue where state charges are filed. We provide direct representation for cases proceeding through major Lucas County jurisdictions:

1. Toledo Municipal Court Defense

   Located in downtown Toledo, this court handles first-degree misdemeanors, OVI/DUI offenses, traffic citations, and preliminary hearings for felony arrests occurring within its territorial jurisdiction, which includes:

• Cities: Toledo

• Townships: Washington Township

• Villages: Ottawa Hills

• Our Statewide Approach: Municipal court cases move rapidly. We step in at arraignment to advocate for reasonable bond conditions. We then demand full evidentiary discovery under Ohio Criminal Rule 16—including Toledo Police body-worn camera footage, cruiser dashcams, and breathalyzer calibration records—to rigorously challenge the constitutionality of the traffic stop or arrest.

• 555 North Erie Street, Toledo, OH 43604.

  Hours & Contact

  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Closed Saturday and Sunday)

  • Phone: (419) 936-3650

• Judges:

  • Joseph J. Howe (Presiding & Administrative Judge)

    • Election History: Appointed February 2019; elected November 2019; re-elected November 2025.

    • Legal Background: Spent 12 years as an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Toledo before joining the bench, handling misdemeanor prosecutions, trial practice, and court room administration.

  • Amy L. Berling

    • Election History: First elected in 1995; re-elected in 2001, 2007, 2013, 2019, and 2025.

    • Legal Background: Practiced as a private attorney in Toledo focusing on civil litigation and criminal defense, and served as a public defender in Lucas County prior to her judicial tenure.

  • Timothy C. Kuhlman

    • Election History: First appointed/elected in 2005; re-elected in 2007, 2013, 2019, and 2025.

    • Legal Background: Former partner at the Toledo firm Eastman & Smith Ltd., where his practice centered on commercial litigation, business law, and civil trials.

  • Joshua W. Lanzinger

    • Election History: First elected in 2013; re-elected in 2019 and 2025.

    • Legal Background: U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division; worked as an Assistant Ohio Attorney General and in private practice handling civil and administrative litigation.

  • Michelle A. Wagner

    • Election History: First elected in 2011; re-elected in 2017 and 2023.

    • Legal Background: Served for over a decade as an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Toledo and worked extensively in private practice as a criminal defense attorney and civil litigator.

  • Nicole I. Khoury

    • Election History: First elected in 2017; re-elected in 2023.

    • Legal Background: Worked as a criminal defense attorney and public defender in Sylvania and Maumee Municipal Courts, with a focus on indigent defense and community legal outreach.

  • Kenneth Walz

    • Election History: Elected November 2023 (took office January 2024).

    • Legal Background: Served for over two decades as an Assistant Lucas County Prosecutor in both the civil and criminal divisions, representing county agencies and prosecuting felony offenses.

  • Eric Allen Marks

    • Election History: Elected November 2021 (took office January 2022).

    • Legal Background: Operated a solo practice in Toledo specializing in criminal defense, family law, and appellate advocacy, and previously served as a magistrate in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas.

Situated at the Lucas County Courthouse in Toledo, the Court of Common Pleas is the county-wide venue for major criminal offenses under the Ohio Revised Code. Regardless of where an initial arrest occurred within Lucas County, all adult felony cases are prosecuted here. This court presides over felony indictments (Felony 5 through Felony 1), including drug trafficking, violent offenses, and complex financial crimes.

• Our Statewide Approach: We bring a trial-first philosophy to every felony indictment. Rather than assuming a plea agreement is the only path forward, we independently evaluate the state’s forensic evidence, scrutinize search warrant affidavits for constitutional defects, and prepare the defense to be argued before a Lucas County jury.

• The Lucas County Common Pleas Court is located at 700 Adams Street, Toledo, OH 43604. [1]

  Court Details

  • Phone (Administration): (419) 213-4749

  • Phone (Clerk ofCourts):(419)213-4484

  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Judges:

  • Judge Gary G. Cook (Courtroom #1)

    • Year Elected: First elected in 2004 (took office January 2005); re-elected in 2010, 2016, and 2022.

    • Legal History & Background: Worked as an assistant public defender in the Toledo Municipal Court Public Defender's Office prior to taking the bench.

    Judge Stacy L. Cook (Courtroom #2)

    • Year Elected: First elected in 2006 (took office January 2007); re-elected in 2012, 2018, and 2024.

    • Legal History & Background: Spent over a decade in private practice as a criminal defense attorney, handling civil litigation, misdemeanor, and felony cases across Northwest Ohio.

    Judge Lori L. Olender (Courtroom #3)

    • Year Elected: First elected in 2020 (took office January 2021).

    • Legal History & Background: Worked for over two decades as a prosecutor, serving as Deputy Chief of the Juvenile Division and Senior Assistant Prosecutor in the Criminal Division for Lucas County.

    Judge Michael R. Goulding (Courtroom #4 – Administrative Judge)

    • Year Appointed / Elected: Appointed in 2013; elected to full terms in 2014 and 2020.

    • Legal History & Background: Formerly served as a Toledo Municipal Court Judge. Before entering the judiciary, worked in private practice specializing in civil and criminal litigation and served as an assistant prosecutor.

    Judge Lindsay D. Navarre (Courtroom #5)

    • Year Elected: First elected in 2016 (took office January 2017); re-elected in 2022.

    • Legal History & Background: Served for nearly a decade as a Lucas County Assistant Prosecutor, prosecuting violent felonies, sexual assault cases, and complex criminal matters.

    Judge Ian B. English (Courtroom #6)

    • Year Elected: First elected in 2014 (took office January 2015); re-elected in 2020.

    • Legal History & Background: Spent more than 12 years as an Assistant Prosecutor in Lucas County, focusing on major felony prosecutions, violent crimes, and special victims cases.

    Judge Dean P. Mandros (Courtroom #7)

    • Year Elected: First elected in 2012 (took office January 2013); re-elected in 2018 and 2024.

    • Legal History & Background: Served for 30 years as a Lucas County Assistant Prosecutor, eventually rising to Chief of the Criminal Division, where he prosecuted major felony and homicide cases.

    Judge Eric Allen Marks (Courtroom #8)

    • Year Appointed / Elected: Appointed in 2021; elected in 2022.

    • Legal History & Background: Operated a private legal practice for over 15 years concentrating on criminal defense, juvenile representation, appellate law, and civil litigation.

    Judge Joe McNamara (Courtroom #9)

    • Year Appointed / Elected: Appointed in 2023; elected in 2024.

    • Legal History & Background: Served as Senior Assistant Law Director for the City of Toledo, practiced civil litigation in the private sector, and previously served on the Toledo City Council.

    Judge Ken Walz (Courtroom #10)

    • Year Elected: Elected in 2024 (took office January 6, 2025).

    • Legal History & Background: Spent several years as a Senior Assistant Prosecutor in the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office and prosecutor in Sandusky County. Holds a background in healthcare/medical malpractice law along with criminal prosecution.

3. Lucas County Juvenile Court Defense

Operating within the Lucas County Juvenile Justice Center, juvenile proceedings address delinquency allegations, underage OVI, and statutory offenses originating anywhere within Lucas County limits. While the juvenile system prioritizes rehabilitation, the long-term consequences of an adjudication can severely impact a minor's future.

• Our Statewide Approach: We advocate to protect the constitutional rights of minors, contest motions for bind-over transfers to adult criminal court, and work to resolve matters in ways that protect the youth's permanent record and future educational opportunities.

• Address: 1801 Spielbusch Avenue Toledo, OH 43604

• Phone: (419) 213-6722 Fax: (419) 213-6898

• Hours Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Judges:

  • Judge Linda M. Knepp(Administrative Judge)

    • Years Elected / Appointed: Appointed by Governor Mike DeWine in June 2021 (taking office July 2021); elected in 2022 to complete the unexpired term, and re-elected in 2024 (term running through January 2031).

    • Legal History & Background:

      • Education: Earned a B.A. from Wayne State University and a J.D. from the University of Toledo College of Law.

      • Public & Judicial Experience: Served as a Magistrate in the Lucas County Probate Court (2020–2021). Spent 19 years with the Lucas County Child Support Enforcement Agency as a trial attorney and administrative hearing officer. Also worked as an Assistant Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney in the Juvenile Division, served three years on the Lucas County Board of Revision (Auditor's Office), and worked with the Adult Probation Department implementing cognitive behavioral therapy supervision.

    Judge Amy E. Stoner

    • Years Elected: Elected in 2024 (took office December 16, 2024, succeeding retired Judge Connie Zemmelman's former seat position).

    • Legal History & Background:

      • Education: Earned her law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law.

      • Legal Practice & Advocacy: Spent decades in private legal practice as a juvenile law specialist and Court Appointed Special Advocate / Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in Lucas County. Her legal career centered on representing children and families in abuse, dependency, neglect, delinquency, and custody proceedings across the region.

We provide comprehensive defense representation across Ohio for a wide range of misdemeanor and felony charges, including:

• Sex Offenses: Strategic, discreet, and aggressive defense against life-altering allegations, including Rape, Sexual Battery, Gross Sexual Imposition (GSI), Public Indecency, and challenging sex offender registry requirements.

• OVI / DUI & Traffic Offenses: Challenging breathalyzer accuracy, field sobriety test administration, and fighting to protect your driving privileges from BMV administrative suspensions.

• Drug Crimes: Defending against state and federal-level drug possession, manufacturing, Trafficking in Drugs, and Major Drug Offender (MDO) indictments.

• Domestic Violence & Protection Orders: Protecting your rights against Domestic Violence charges, Assault, and defending against the issuance of Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) that threaten your home and family access.

• Violent Crimes: High-stakes trial defense for Assault, Aggravated Assault, Felonious Assault, Manslaughter, Murder, and self-defense cases.

• Weapons & Firearms Offenses: Defending your Second Amendment rights against charges of Improper Handling of a Firearm, Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) violations, and Having Weapons Under Disability.

• Theft & Property Crimes: Strategic defense for Petty Theft, Shoplifting, Burglary, Robbery, and Grand Theft.

• White-Collar & Financial Crimes: Representation for complex financial allegations including Fraud, Embezzlement, Forgery, and Identity Fraud.

• Juvenile Offenses: Protecting the futures of minors facing delinquency proceedings in Ohio juvenile courts, keeping focus on rehabilitation over punishment.

• Record Sealing & Expungement: Helping eligible clients seal or expunge past criminal convictions to restore their employment opportunities and clear their public record.

When an individual is arrested and held at the Lucas County Corrections Center or a municipal holding facility, immediate legal intervention is critical. Delaying representation allows the prosecution to present an unmonitored initial position on bail. We advocate forcefully at initial bond hearings to request reasonable pretrial release conditions, allowing clients to return to their families and employment while we build their defense.

Transparent, Flat-Rate Legal Fees

Hiring a criminal defense attorney in Toledo should not involve unpredictable hourly billing or hidden monthly fees. Attorney Makris operates on a fully transparent, flat-rate pricing model for cases across Ohio. Before you sign a fee agreement, you will know the exact cost of your legal representation—including trial preparation—allowing you to focus entirely on your defense rather than worrying about the cost of a phone call. All flat fees are the complete cost for representation including trial.

Prices:

• Minor Misdemeanor- $1000

• Misdemeanor 4 -(M4): $1500

• Misdemeanor 3-(M3): $1500

• Misdemeanor 2 -(M2): $1500

• Misdemeanor 1 -(M1): $1750

• 1st OVI: $2000

• Felony 5 (F5): $3000

• Felony 4 (F4): $4000

• Felony 3 (F3): $5000

• Felony 2 (F2): $7500

• Felony 1 (F1): $10,000

• Major Drug Offender (MDO): $15,000

• Murder: $20,000

​Fees are typical estimates including trial. We reserve the right to adjust for complexity and or travel. We have offices in the Stark County Area and near Lucas County. There may a flat transparent traveling fee that takes account the traveling time required to handle your case. Fees cover legal representation; clients pay court costs and 3rd party expenses. Fees do not include appellate representation in your particular case. We fight for your future.