MEDIATION OFFERED BY
PERRYSBURG MUNICIPAL COURT

Perrysburg, Ohio – January 22, 2003 – The Perrysburg Municipal Court is one of several courts in the state who offers a voluntary mediation service to the community.  Mediation is a process in which a third party facilitates communication between parties to help them resolve their differences and commit to a resolution that each feels is fair.  This is an alternative method of settling lawsuits quickly, easily, and inexpensively with help from a mediator.

When a dispute is settled through mediation, the inconvenience, time, and expense of a full-scale trial is avoided.  If a mediation agreement is not reached, the parties give up control over the outcome by filing charges through the court – meaning the judge or a jury will decide the outcome rather than the parties in dispute.  Debbie Barr, the court’s mediation coordinator, says, “It’s a program that works.  The parties have control of the case and still have their say in court.  For the most part, they are all happy, the case settles and they get on with their lives.”

The Perrysburg Municipal Court implemented the mediation program in June 1998 with three mediators – Debbie Bucher, Deborah McPeck, and Thomas Weidner.  The court received a $2,500 grant from The Supreme Court of Ohio, which it used to provide basic mediation training to 27 volunteers in December 1998.  Active mediators in the program include James Adray, Serena Barnard, Debbie Barr, Edwin Bernard, Mary Boyd, Ray Hennan, Bill Irwin, Don Lieder, Debbie McPeck, Deanna Routson, Paul Sellers, Kevin Tackett, Robert Turain, Thomas Weidner, and Sharon Wumer.  George Athanas later joined the team.

The Perrysburg Municipal Court originally offered only civil small claims mediation.  Some of the volunteer mediators have since furthered their training to include criminal and juvenile cases.   The Perrysburg Municipal Court currently offers mediation for civil claims and criminal disputes.  In 2002, 24 civil cases and 3 criminal cases were referred to mediation.  Some cases settled before the scheduled mediation date, and 15 of the 24 civil cases were successfully mediated.

Serena Barnard attained state certification to handle domestic violence disputes, and she recently opened her own private mediation practice in Perrysburg.  Juvenile mediations are handled through the Wood County Prosecutors Office using several of this court’s active mediators.  George Athanas is a mediator of juvenile disputes.

The Perrysburg Municipal Court’s jurisdiction extends through the cities of Perrysburg, Rossford, and Northwood; the townships of Perrysburg, Lake, and Troy; and the villages of Luckey, Millbury, and Walbridge.

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