Rule 16 Appearance of Defendants in Criminal Cases

Appearance of Defendants in Criminal Cases

(A) Defendants in criminal cases shall be required to appear before the court by notice to appear, summons, arrest, or continuance from a former court date.

(B) When the defendant resides in the Toledo area (Lucas, Ottawa, Wood, and Fulton Counties, Ohio, and Bedford Township and Erie Township, Monroe County, Michigan), the citing officer shall issue a notice to appear as the standard means for requiring appearance in all traffic violations not involving intoxication or aggravated breaches of the peace by the defendant.

(C) A summons on forms approved by the court and available to police departments of the City of Toledo, Village of Ottawa Hills, Washington Township, the Lucas County Sheriff’s Department, and State of Ohio Specialized Enforcement Forces shall be the standard means for requiring defendants to appear in criminal misdemeanor violations where it does not appear likely to the citing officer or prosecutor that a further aggravated breach of peace will occur.

(D) The prosecutor requesting a summons shall request the court services department to set a court date no more than 10 days from the date the complaint is filed to persons summoned to appear for arraignment in misdemeanor and felony cases as defendants.