Mayor's courts hear traffic cases, violations of city ordinances and other misdemeanors.
The presiding officer is a magistrate (not a judge) appointed by the mayor, or even being the mayor, and paid by the city or village.
Mayor's courts are not authorized to conduct jury trials.
If a defendant is entitled to and desires a jury trial, then the case is transferred to the jurisdiction's trial court of limited jurisdiction (Municipal Court or County Court).
The late Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Thomas J. Moyer pointed out that the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that there is an unconstitutional conflict of interest for a mayor to levy a fine paid into a budget that the mayor himself controls.