Since Ohio became a state in 1803, the legislature required each county to have a Clerk of Courts who was tasked to preserve records for future generations. In the interest of justice, it was and is still today, important for clerk offices to remain independent from the judges they serve.
Appointed as the first Franklin County Clerk of Courts, Lucas Sullivant, was charged with the responsibilities of correspondence, issuing writs, filing, docketing and other processes ordered by the court. Since that time, much of the Clerk’s relationship with the Courts has remained unchanged, but the Office now assumes responsibilities over the issuance of auto titles and other judicial correspondence within the Ohio Revised Code. In 1998, Virginia Barney was appointed as the first female Franklin County Clerk of Courts. In 2009, Maryellen O’Shaughnessy was the first woman elected to the Office and currently serves as the 41st Franklin County Clerk of Courts. Clerk O'Shaughnessy is constantly providing her staff of nearly 220 people with training and support in order to provide the citizens of Franklin County with timely, accurate and courteous service.
Historical Index of the Franklin County Clerk of Courts
