Warren County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Mike Powell has been appointed by Gov. John R. Kasich to the Twelfth District Court of Appeals.

Warren County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Mike Powell has been appointed by Gov. John R. Kasich to the Twelfth District Court of Appeals.

Warren County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Mike Powell will trade in that title after his appointment Thursday by Gov. John R. Kasich to the Twelfth District Court of Appeals.

Judge Powell fills the vacancy left by former Twelfth District Court of Appeals Judge Rachel Hutzel who died in late August. He must run in November’s general election to retain the seat for the unexpired term that ends February 9, 2017. His opponent on November 6 is Raymond w. Lembke, a civil litigation and dispute resolution attorney.

Judge Mike Powell joins another Judge Powell on the appeals court: Judge Stephen W. Powell, who has served on the court since 1995.

Since 2000, Judge Mike Powell has served on the probate/juvenile bench. For the 21 years before that, he worked as an assistant prosecutor and chief assistant prosecutor in the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. Judge Powell also served as village solicitor and law director for two communities and in private practice.

The Twelfth District Court of Appeals serves Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Fayette, Madison, Preble and Warren counties, and hears cases from county, municipal and common pleas courts as well as original actions in habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, procedendo and quo warranto.

According to Article IV, Section 13 of the Ohio Constitution, the governor has sole authority to fill all judicial vacancies in the state.