Paper shortage cripples Ohio court

An Ohio court says it won’t accept new civil, small claims, criminal and traffic cases because it has run out of money for paper.

Judge Lee McClelland said the Morrow County Municipal Court that handles the cases has only enough paper left to print hearing notices and other documents for cases already pending, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported Monday.

Basically, unless they want to provide paper, we can’t process anything, McClelland said.

A memo written by the judge was sent to officials with law enforcement and the local government explaining that the county has yet to pay its bills for basic supplies from November.

McClelland said several agencies have agreed to provide their own paper for filings.

They’re still going to issue tickets and the court is going to be open to take pleas, McClelland said.

Morrow County Sheriff Steven Brenneman said he received McClelland’s memo but he doesn’t understand how the court can refuse to accept legal charges.

We are going to do our job and if we make arrests or issue citations, we’re taking them to the court, Brenneman said to the Dispatch Whether the court accepts them, I guess that’s something they’re going to have to deal with.