Admission to the FNS Docket

An application/referral to the FNS Docket may be obtained by visiting the Specialty Courts Office, located on the 3rd floor of the General Services Center, 315 High Street, Hamilton, OH, 45011, or by printing one out Application/Referral for Specialty Courts and submitting it to the Specialty Courts Office.

An offender may be referred to the FNS Docket from the time of indictment until final disposition of the case.  However, after an application/referral has been received by the Specialty Courts Office, the actual screening for the FNS Docket will not begin until the offender has either pled guilty or no contest to, or otherwise been convicted of, a felony non support offense.

An offender may be admitted to the FNS Docket subsequent to any of the  three following actions on the offender’s case:

1.  Plea and Sentencing
2.  Probation Violation
3.  Judicial Release

Plea and Sentencing

• The Specialty Courts Program Director will monitor the Butler County Grand Jury Reports for any possible Felony Non-Support indictments. The status of the case will then be followed until its resolution. Once an offender has either pled guilty or no contest to, or otherwise been convicted of, a felony non support offense, the case will be reviewed by the Specialty Courts Program Director to determine whether the offender is eligible for the FNS Docket (see Program Overview/Who is eligible?).

• The Specialty Courts Program Director will then provide written information in reference to the offender's eligibility for the FNS Docket to the Sentencing Judge, who will make the final decision as to whether the offender enters the FNS Docket as a community control sanction.

Probation Violation

• If the offender has been referred by the offender’s attorney, or by a probation officer, an application/referral must be submitted to the Specialty Courts Office.  The probation officer will be notified that an application/referral to the FNS Docket has been submitted.

• The case will be reviewed by the Specialty Courts Program Director to determine whether the offender is eligible for the FNS Docket (see Program Overview/Who is eligible?).

• The Specialty Courts Program Director will then provide written information in reference to the offender's eligibility for the FNS Docket to the Sentencing Judge, who will make the final decision as to whether the offender enters the FNS Docket as a community control sanction.

Judicial Release

• An application/referral must be submitted to the Specialty Courts Office. The offender must be amenable to community control (i.e. not serving mandatory time).

• The case will be reviewed by the Specialty Courts Program Director to determine whether the offender is eligible for the FNS Docket (see Program Overview/Who is eligible?).

• The Specialty Courts Program Director will then provide written information in reference to the offender's eligibility for the FNS Docket to the Sentencing Judge, who will make the final decision as to whether the offender enters the FNS Docket as a community control sanction.