Welcome to the Dayton Unit NAACP

On behalf of the Dayton Unit NAACP, 1st Lady Jean and I, welcome you to our Website. Founded in 1915, the Dayton Unit NAACP is the oldest and largest Civil and Human Rights organization in the Dayton Region. Our members, volunteers, office staff, organizers, committee chairs, Twitter and Facebook friends continue to fight for social justice for ALL Americans. We hope you have an opportunity to view our Annual Reports to be enlightened about our work. Please navigate through our website to learn more about our organization. We encourage your youth to participate in our youth enrichment programs.

Your Community servant, 

Dr. Derrick L. Foward 

President

"Move Forward With Foward"

"Our Success Is Influenced By Your Actions (DLF)" 

Founded in 1915, the Dayton Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the city’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Our members throughout the Dayton Region and Montgomery County are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. Our core goals are to Inform, Educate and Empower the Citizenry as we pursue justice and equality for all Americans. 

For more information on the Dayton Unit NAACP, please call (937) 222-2172 or visit www.naacpdayton.org

Fellow Citizens: 

As adults, whether directly or indirectly, you have been through a lot, you have witnessed a lot, you may have even bore the burden of someone else, but more importantly, you know how to overcome with resilience. May God Bless You, May God Bless the NAACP and May God Bless These United States of America!

Fellow Citizens:

Our children are blessings from the most high. Please ensure they are trained, educated and engaged in the Civil Rights Movement! 

The Ohio Fair Courts Alliance is a diverse network of organizations, community leaders and concerned citizens. The Ohio Fair Courts Alliance is dedicated to creating a court system that exemplifies and protects equity, fairness and justice for all.

Our theory of change is that if we educate the public about the role of judges and courts, we will increase participation rates in judicial elections, improve the quality and diversity of judges selected for the bench, and engage more activists to win fair courts.

Founding members of the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance include: Common Cause Ohio, Dayton NAACP, Greater Cleveland Congregations, Ohio Environmental Council, and Ohio Voice.

Ohio Voice is the c3 table in Ohio. They are here to create the infrastructure that supports and coheres the social movement ecology in Ohio to improve the lives of all Ohioans. Their role is all about support. They are here to make sure that Ohio progressives have the resources, skills, and networks they need to pursue the change they are working for. They believe that if Ohio progressives start to work together, learn together, and play together more, then we will be able to win together.

The mission of Ohio Voice is to support and grow the ecosystem of non-profit, non-partisan organizations doing year-round civic engagement with underrepresented communities in order to improve people's lives.

The chief justice and six justices are elected to six-year terms on a nonpartisan ballot. One is African American and six are Caucasian. Three are male and four are female. The Honorable Justice Melody J. Stewart became the first African-American woman to be elected to the Ohio Supreme Court. Two justices are chosen at the general election in even-numbered years. In the year when the chief justice runs, voters pick three members of the Court. A person must be an attorney with at least six years of experience in the practice of law to be elected or appointed to the Court. Appointments are made by the governor for vacancies that occur between elections.

Ohio Judicial Structure

The Constitution of Ohio separates our state government into three branches, each with distinct areas of responsibility — the executive, the legislative and the judicial.

The primary function of the judicial branch is to fairly and impartially settle disputes according to the law. To do this, a number of courts have been established in the state by the Constitution and by acts of the General Assembly.

Further, in addition to its place in the court structure as the court of last resort, the Supreme Court, in particular the Chief Justice, is responsible for the administration of the judicial branch in Ohio.

The Supreme Court of Ohio

The Supreme Court of Ohio is established by Article IV, Section 1, of the Ohio Constitution, which provides that “the judicial power of the state is vested in a Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, Courts of Common Pleas and divisions thereof, and such other courts inferior to the Supreme Court as may from time to time be established by law.” 

The Dayton Municipal Court was created in 1913 by the Ohio State Legislature and began its judicial operation in 1914. The court has boundaries of the City of Dayton. The court has subject matter jurisdiction over a violation of any ordinance of the City of Dayton; any state of Ohio statutory misdemeanor or traffic violation committed in Dayton; and jurisdiction to preside over preliminary hearings for felony cases that occur in the City of Dayton. Jurisdiction also includes civil cases when the amount in dispute is $15,000 or less and for small claims cases when the amount in dispute is $6,000 or less.

The General Division of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction that provides prompt, fair and just resolution of litigation in civil and criminal cases.

There are sixteen Judges in the Common Pleas Court for Montgomery County. The Judges are elected to and conduct their work in one of the four divisions. In some instances, the Presiding Judge will assign a Judge from one division to another for specific cases. This is done to avoid the cost and delay involved with a Judge from another county being assigned to a matter.

The General Division has eleven Judges responsible for civil cases and criminal felony cases. One is African American and ten are Caucasian. Eight are male and three are female. The Honorable Judge E. Gerald Parker Jr. is the first and only African American male judge in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, General Division. Civil cases involve disputes between parties for such things as unpaid debts, personal injuries from accidents, contract disputes and other conflicts arising out of different types of business transactions. Criminal felony cases are prosecutions for crimes that can result in a prison sentence for the offender. Felony cases are divided by classifications from One to Five with Level One crimes being the most serious offenses.

The Domestic Relations Division has two Judges empowered by statute to hear all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases, as well as civil domestic violence cases for residents of Montgomery County. One is African American and one is Caucasian. One is male and one is  female. In addition, the Court maintains jurisdiction over post-decree matters such as allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, child support, parenting time issues, spousal support, and other related matters.

The Juvenile Division has two Judges with jurisdiction over cases regarding delinquent and unruly children, as well as those youth charged with traffic violations. Both are Caucasian. One is male and one is female. The Court also makes judicial determinations relating to dependency, neglect, abuse, paternity, child support, and parenting time.

The Probate Division has one Judge with exclusive jurisdiction over the administration of estates and trusts, appointment of guardians for incompetents and estates of minors, adoptions, the issuance of marriage licenses, name changes, commitment of the mentally ill, and various other actions. The judge of this court is African American and female. The Court also approves settlements in wrongful death actions and minor injury claims. The Probate Division is empowered with more than two hundred responsibilities pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code.

Five full-time judges serve on the Dayton Municipal Court. Four are African American and one is Caucasian. Three are male and two are female. Each judge is elected on a nonpartisan ballot to serve a six-year term of office. Judges must be attorneys, required to have practiced law for a minimum of six years and be residents of the City of Dayton. All judges are sworn to administer justice in every case and to ensure that the cases before them are conducted in an impartial and equitable manner. Annually, the judges elect a Presiding Judge and an Administrative Judge. These judges meet regularly with the Court Administrator to review the operations and policies of the court.

Two full-time magistrates are appointed by the court to hear certain civil cases, small claims cases, eviction procedures and initial appearances for defendants summoned in for arraignment. They also preside over minor traffic and criminal cases.

The administrative, professional, technical and clerical functions of the court are provided by 55 court employees. Support positions include a court administrator, magistrates, legal assistant, court technology manager and IT technical support coordinator, probation officers, assignment coordinators, bailiffs, marshal, secretaries , paralegals, and electronic home detention officers.