Legal Question in Criminal Law in Ohio

Sometimes a felony case is initially brought before the local municipal court where the accused plead guilty or not guilty (usually not guilty). Municipal Courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor cases, not felonies.

The matter is then set for a pre-trial a few weeks later. When that pre-trial rolls around, the case before the municipal court will be "dismissed for direct indictment" meaning that the court of common pleas will be handling it from now on, and will be convening a grand jury to indict the suspect.