Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio

Association elects municipal, county judges as officers

Image of Defiance Municipal Court Judge John T. Rohrs III.Image of Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth W. Root.Image of Athens County Municipal Court Judge William A. GrimImage of Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael R. GouldingImage of Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Michael T. Brandt

2013 officers of the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio (top left) Defiance Municipal Court Judge John T. Rohrs III, president; Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth W. Root, first vice president; Athens County Municipal Court Judge William A. Grim, second vice president. (bottom left) Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael R. Goulding, secretary; Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Michael T. Brandt, treasurer.

Image of Defiance Municipal Court Judge John T. Rohrs III.Image of Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth W. Root.Image of Athens County Municipal Court Judge William A. GrimImage of Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael R. GouldingImage of Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Michael T. Brandt

2013 officers of the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio (top left) Defiance Municipal Court Judge John T. Rohrs III, president; Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth W. Root, first vice president; Athens County Municipal Court Judge William A. Grim, second vice president. (bottom left) Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael R. Goulding, secretary; Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Michael T. Brandt, treasurer.

Municipal and county court judges took the oath of office today after being elected to leadership positions by the statewide membership of their association.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence O’Donnell conducted the swearing-in ceremony during the group’s annual three-day winter meeting.

The 2013 officers of the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio include:

  • Defiance Municipal Court Judge John T. Rohrs III – president
  • Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth W. Root – first vice president
  • Athens County Municipal Court Judge William A. Grim – second vice president
  • Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael R. Goulding – secretary
  • Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Michael T. Brandt – treasurer

Judge Rohrs took the bench in 1994 and served as the city’s law director for 10 years before that. He also worked in private practice. He earned his law degree from the Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law.

“Starting my 20th year on the bench, I’m still impressed with a fact shared in 2010 that municipal and county court judges make up 35 percent of the judges in Ohio and handle 78 percent of all legal filings in the state,” Judge Rohrs said. “To clear a caseload of that magnitude, one has to be dedicated, willing to put in the necessary hours and pretty efficient. Also, 78 percent of the citizens involved with the legal system will be in our municipal and county courts and that will form their impression of the justice system in Ohio. I am truly humbled to be the president of an association that has such a positive impact on our profession and the people with whom we deal.”

The educational portion of the winter conference includes sessions devoted to the admissibility of evidence obtained from the Intoxilyzer 8000; authorizing, collecting, and assessing court costs; and information about the new court interpreter rule.