Auglaize County Sheriffs Office

History of the Sheriff

The Office of Sheriff was created in 1792 when the first Sheriff was appointed by Northwest Territorial Governor St. Clair. Under the 1802 Ohio Constitution the office became an elective post; the original two - year term was extended to four years in 1936.

The duties of the Sheriff have remained unchanged since the creation of the office. The Sheriff is required to attend the court of common pleas, court of appeals, county court, and upon request, the probate court. In addition to insuring that order is maintained throughout these court proceedings, the Sheriff is empowered to adjourn the court of common pleas if the judge fails to appear, and the court of appeals if a quorum is lacking.

Presently, the Sheriff serves all warrants, writs, subpoenas, and other orders from the court of common pleas, court of appeals, county court, juvenile court, and probate court. Warrants issued by the governor are executed by the Sheriff's Office, which also serves writs and subpoenas issued by various state officials and boards.

In 1805 the Ohio General Assembly defined additional duties of the Sheriff: to preserve the peace by suppressing riots, unlawful assemblies, and insurrections; to act as the official custodian of the county jail; to apprehend and incarcerate all felons and traitors; to serve as county executioner (until 1886); to enforce the election laws at the request of the board of elections or the secretary of state; to be present at all drawings of jurors; and to serve notice upon jurors.

Today the Sheriff possesses jurisdiction coextensive with the county boundaries, including all municipalities, the Sheriff and Mayor hold equal authority as law enforcement officers under state law. While most of the county Sheriff's records are open to the public, those dealing with probation and parole are closed according to section 149.43 of the Ohio Revised Code.

Sheriff's of the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office

Since the establishment of Auglaize County in 1848, the following Sheriff's have held Office:

John Elliot 1848 - 1850
Michael Miller 1851 - 1854
John Mertz 1855 - 1858
William Wise 1859 - 1862
Mathias Mouch 1862 -1866
Frederick William Wehrman 1867 - 1870
Frederick Kohler 1871 - 1872
Theodore Dickman 1873 - 1876
Frederick Kohler 1877 - 1880
John G. Distelrath 1881 - 1884
Thomas Benjamin "T.B." Baker 1885 - 1886
William G. Schulenberg 1887 - 1889
Nicholas Shubert 1890 - 1892
Charles W. Nichols 1893 - 1896
Charles Hauss 1897 - 1900
William L. Melching 1901 - 1904
August Smith 1905 - 1908
John William Lear 1909 - 1912
James W. Shockey 1913 - 1916
Ora L. Hinton 1917 - 1920
George Lempel "Long Bob" Ewing 1921 - 1924
Marion Vermillion 1925 - 1928
Harve Russell 1929 - 1932
William Edward Kelley 1933 - 1936
William V. Neiter 1937 - 1952
Robert L. Davidson 1953 - 1964
James M. Knoch 1965 - 1988
Larry R. Longsworth 1989 - 2005
Allen F. Solomon 2005 - 2020
Michael L. Vorhees 2021 - Present

 

History of the Sheriff

The Office of Sheriff was created in 1792 when the first Sheriff was appointed by Northwest Territorial Governor St. Clair. Under the 1802 Ohio Constitution the office became an elective post; the original two - year term was extended to four years in 1936.

The duties of the Sheriff have remained unchanged since the creation of the office. The Sheriff is required to attend the court of common pleas, court of appeals, county court, and upon request, the probate court. In addition to insuring that order is maintained throughout these court proceedings, the Sheriff is empowered to adjourn the court of common pleas if the judge fails to appear, and the court of appeals if a quorum is lacking.

Presently, the Sheriff serves all warrants, writs, subpoenas, and other orders from the court of common pleas, court of appeals, county court, juvenile court, and probate court. Warrants issued by the governor are executed by the Sheriff's Office, which also serves writs and subpoenas issued by various state officials and boards.

In 1805 the Ohio General Assembly defined additional duties of the Sheriff: to preserve the peace by suppressing riots, unlawful assemblies, and insurrections; to act as the official custodian of the county jail; to apprehend and incarcerate all felons and traitors; to serve as county executioner (until 1886); to enforce the election laws at the request of the board of elections or the secretary of state; to be present at all drawings of jurors; and to serve notice upon jurors.

Today the Sheriff possesses jurisdiction coextensive with the county boundaries, including all municipalities, the Sheriff and Mayor hold equal authority as law enforcement officers under state law. While most of the county Sheriff's records are open to the public, those dealing with probation and parole are closed according to section 149.43 of the Ohio Revised Code.

Sheriff's of the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office

Since the establishment of Auglaize County in 1848, the following Sheriff's have held Office:

John Elliot 1848 - 1850
Michael Miller 1851 - 1854
John Mertz 1855 - 1858
William Wise 1859 - 1862
Mathias Mouch 1862 -1866
Frederick William Wehrman 1867 - 1870
Frederick Kohler 1871 - 1872
Theodore Dickman 1873 - 1876
Frederick Kohler 1877 - 1880
John G. Distelrath 1881 - 1884
Thomas Benjamin "T.B." Baker 1885 - 1886
William G. Schulenberg 1887 - 1889
Nicholas Shubert 1890 - 1892
Charles W. Nichols 1893 - 1896
Charles Hauss 1897 - 1900
William L. Melching 1901 - 1904
August Smith 1905 - 1908
John William Lear 1909 - 1912
James W. Shockey 1913 - 1916
Ora L. Hinton 1917 - 1920
George Lempel "Long Bob" Ewing 1921 - 1924
Marion Vermillion 1925 - 1928
Harve Russell 1929 - 1932
William Edward Kelley 1933 - 1936
William V. Neiter 1937 - 1952
Robert L. Davidson 1953 - 1964
James M. Knoch 1965 - 1988
Larry R. Longsworth 1989 - 2005
Allen F. Solomon 2005 - 2020
Michael L. Vorhees 2021 - Present