Clinton County Municipal Court Unveils Major Program Changes

Judge David Henry

The Clinton County Municipal Court is undergoing changes to the bond schedule, pretrial bond diversion, and community service program, as shared by Judge David Henry.

According to Henry, the changes will require an additional staff member. He shared that Bob Wilson, a former Wilmington police officer, detective, sergeant, and chief of police for 26 years, will take on the position in July.

In addition to this, the court changed their bond schedule that outlines bail amounts for criminal offenses. According to Henry, the previous bail amounts "posed significant dangers" depending on an individual's offense, and the new schedule will allow Henry to issue appropriate bonds. According to Henry, the previous policy allowed individuals to post bond before attending court due to the low bail amount. The new schedule will increase bonds from $100 to $1,000, ensuring an individual is assessed by Henry before being released to the public. The new schedule took effect on May 16, 2025.

In his press release, Henry explained that the court will also increase the use of their bond diversion program, allowing "low-level, non-violent misdemeanor offenders" the opportunity to stay out of jail during their case. Rather than staying in jail prior to their hearing, eligible defendants would report to the diversion supervisor to ensure they are not committing crimes, using drugs, or fleeing the area. Henry stated that this saves taxpayer money.

Additionally, Henry shared that the court is expanding their community service program. The community service includes cleaning public land, painting, lawn maintenance, and other projects. According to Henry, he has received positive feedback from township trustees, local leaders, and Clinton County Sheriff, Doug Eastes, that has led him to expand the program in Wilmington and other local townships and villages in the county. Similarly to the bond diversion program, inmate participants must be low-level, non-violent offenders.

When speaking on the importance of these changes, Henry shared that the changes will save taxpayer dollars, in addition to protecting the people, which is his "biggest job."

To learn more about the Clinton County Municipal Court and the program changes, visit clintonmunicourt.org.