(a) Scope of this Rule. The filing of actions properly venued within this District shall be
governed by the following rules, subject to the jurisdictional and venue requirements
of all statutes, both general and specific.
(b) Location of Court. For venue purposes, the area served by each location of Court
consists of the following counties:
Eastern Division: Columbus: Athens, Belmont, Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield,
Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking,
Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Licking, Logan, Madison, Meigs,
Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry,
Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Union, Vinton, and Washington.
Eastern Division: Steubenville: The Jury Plan of the District provides that a District
Judge may try a case in the Eastern Division in Steubenville or
any other location in the counties of Belmont, Guernsey,
Jefferson, Harrison, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, or Washington,
with prospective jurors to be drawn from the aforementioned
eight counties.
Western Division: Cincinnati: Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton,
Highland, Lawrence, Scioto, and Warren.
Western Division: Dayton: Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami,
Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby.
(c) Resident Defendant(s). An action against a defendant or defendants resident in this
District shall be filed at the location of Court that serves a county in which at least one
defendant resides.
(d) Corporate Residence, Venue When Indeterminate. A corporation that is deemed to
reside in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(c) is further deemed to reside in that
county in which its principal place of business within the District is located, or, if none,
in that county with which it has the most significant contacts. If such a corporation’s
county of residence cannot be determined under this Rule, an action against such
corporation shall be filed at a location of Court determined in accordance with the
following Rules, in order of preference: (1) a county in which a substantial part of the
events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred or a substantial part of the property
that is the subject to the action is located; or (2) any location of Court.
(e) Nonresident Defendant(s). If no defendant is a resident of this District, an action shall
be filed at the location of Court serving a county in which a substantial part of the
events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred or a substantial part of the property
that is the subject of the action is located.
(f) Habeas Corpus Actions. A habeas corpus action shall be filed at the location of Court
that serves the county in which the state-court judgment that is the subject of the habeas
petition was filed.
