Judge Michele Henne, Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Judge Michele Henne, Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Montgomery County’s newest judge recently took her oath of office during a courtroom ceremony.

Judge Michele S.H. Henne will serve on the common pleas bench after being appointed to an open seat by Gov. Mike DeWine. She must run for election in November 2026 to retain the seat.

Judge Henne’s time in public service began long before her career in law. She volunteered in a children’s hospital prior to her legal career, with interest in becoming a doctor. Although it wasn’t her ultimate path, her desire to help others has translated into a successful career in the public sector.

After graduating from Washington University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree, Judge Henne went on to earn her juris doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2006.

As a law student in 2005, Judge Henne clerked for Judge Dennis Langer in the very same court where she’ll be returning to begin her judicial career. The following year she externed for Judge Thomas M. Rose at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Judge Henne has spent much of her career as an assistant prosecutor, beginning with her first job in Montgomery County in 2006 before her starting her most recent position in Green County in 2019. Over the last two decades, she has handled a wide range of cases, including those in the children services and juvenile divisions, as well as the criminal division.

As she steps into her new position, Judge Henne is guided by two of her biggest values: “impartiality and fairness.”