In May, 1957, the Ohio General Assembly created "County Courts" as Ohio Courts of Record to replace the remaining justices of the peace operating throughout the state. These Justices of the Peace were hearing cases in areas without a city of municipal court. The new law created County Court jurisdictions for areas in a county not presently covered by municipal court. It also designated a separate county court for each area with a population of thirty thousand people.

At the time H.C. Danford of Dexter City and Leo E. Carter of Caldwell were the final justices of the peace for Noble County. They were replaced on January 1, 1958, by the first elected County Court judge.

The jurisdiction of the County Court was thereby established and presently hears civil cases up to $15,000.00 in damages, small claims up to $6,000.00, evictions, misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic cases and the Court conducts preliminary hearings in felony matters.

In Noble County, the jurisdiction of the County Court is county-wide as there is no municipal court. From its inception until the present day, the County Court Judge position in Noble Count has been part time.

• 1958 - 1966 - Clayton "Jum" McKee
• 1966 - 1968 - John W. Hazard
• 1968 - 1970 - Robert C. Paxton
• 1970 - 1981 - Edmund G. James
• 1982 - 1999 - Lucien C. Young, II
• 2000 - 2021 - Lucien C. Young, III
• 2021 - Current - Jennifer L. Arnold

The Court appreciates the assistance of Roger Pickenpaugh in obtaining this information.