---
title: "Gary C. Bennett | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-c-bennett"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-27"
---

# Gary C. Bennett

Elyria Municipal Court · Municipal Court Judge

## Profile

- Court: Elyria Municipal Court
- State: Ohio
- Role: Municipal Court Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-27

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### remote hearing exhibits

Scope: statewide

Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance tells courts to include instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses when remote-hearing information is sent to participants.

Evidence excerpt: Instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses.

[Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote hearing ground rules

Scope: statewide

Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance recommends advance ground rules for documents, exhibits, screen sharing, and pre-marking exhibits for remote hearings.

Evidence excerpt: Documents: Share any documents/exhibits that will be reviewed in advance. Use the share screen function while documents are being discussed during the hearing. Request that the documents are pre-marked for exhibit purposes.

[Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote recording

Scope: statewide

Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance states that litigants, attorneys, and the public should be instructed not to record the hearing.

Evidence excerpt: The court should instruct the litigants, attorneys, and the public to not record the hearing.

[Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.ohiojudges.org/directory/ojc-directory/)
- [Official roster](https://www.ohiojudges.org/directory/ojc-directory/)
- [Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster](https://www.ohiojudges.org/directory/ojc-directory/)
- [Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-c-bennett",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-c-bennett",
      "name": "Gary C. Bennett | KnowJudges",
      "description": "Gary C. Bennett, Elyria Municipal Court. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-07-27",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-c-bennett#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-c-bennett#judge",
      "name": "Gary C. Bennett",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-c-bennett",
      "jobTitle": "Municipal Court Judge",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "Elyria Municipal Court"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.ohiojudges.org/directory/ojc-directory/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Ohio",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/ohio"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Gary C. Bennett",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-c-bennett"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

## Biography

### Professional career

- Elected judge of the Elyria Municipal Court in Ohio, serving since January 1, 2010, and currently through December 31, 2027

### Education


### Additional information

- Traffic Magistrate from 2005–2010
- Known for advancing court diversion programs for minor traffic, theft, underage consumption, and low-level drug paraphernalia cases.
- Prior judicial service: Ten years as an acting judge under Judges Locke Graves and Musson
- Judge Bennett presides over the Elyria Municipal Court, which handles misdemeanors, ordinance violations, traffic cases, small civil claims, and certain felony probable cause hearings in the cities of Elyria and North Ridgeville, plus several villages and townships.
- He also coordinated the Ohio Center for Law Related Education Mock Trial Competition and serves on the Education Committee of the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio

