Duties

Director of Law

The duties of the director of law include serving as general legal counsel to city officials and prosecuting misdemeanor cases in the Wadsworth Municipal Court.

As general legal counsel to city officials, the director of law is involved in preparing ordinances and resolutions for city council, reviewing and preparing a wide variety of legal documents involving the City of Wadsworth, representing the City of Wadsworth in lawsuits and giving legal advise on questions posed by city officials in their official capacity.

As prosecutor in the Wadsworth Municipal Court, the director of law prosecutes misdemeanor cases against adults that are alleged to have occurred in either the City of Wadsworth or in the unincorporated areas in Wadsworth Township, Sharon Township, Guilford Township, Westfield Township, Harrisville Township or Homer Township. (Felony cases and cases against juveniles are prosecuted by the Prosecuting Attorney of Medina County.)

Filing a Criminal Charge

If a person wants to file a criminal charge against someone or report a criminal offense, the person should initially contact the Wadsworth Police Department if the alleged incident occurred in the City of Wadsworth or the Medina County Sheriff's Department if the alleged incident occurred in one of the townships. The Wadsworth Police Department or Medina County Sheriff's Department will prepare a report for the director of law or an assistant director of law to review and determine if there is a proper basis for a criminal prosecution.

If the alleged offense involves a building or zoning code violation, county park regulation, or hunting or wildlife issue, the person should contact the official who investigates the specific type of violation.

If the person is in doubt as to who to contact, the person should call the law director's office for information on how to proceed. If an alleged offense occurred in any other political subdivision, the person should contact the law enforcement agency for the subdivision for it to prepare a report and refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor.