New to the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court bench is Judge Christopher McDowell, who was recently appointed to the position by Gov. Mike DeWine. Judge McDowell fills an empty seat at the court and must run for election in November 2026 to maintain his judgeship.

For the last decade, Judge McDowell was a partner at Strauss Troy and a prosecutor for the City of Wyoming and the Village of Newton. Prior to those roles, he was a partner in a major law firm’s litigation department, where he worked for 14 years.

Long before entering private practice, Judge McDowell served in the United States Army, first as a second lieutenant after graduating from Marshall University in 1991 with his bachelor’s degree, then as an attorney in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps upon earning his juris doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law in 1994.

Even before his active duty, he enlisted in the Army Reserves as a private at the age of 17.

“The military is a very good place to learn how to become an attorney,” said Judge McDowell.

During his time in the JAG Corps, Judge McDowell was stationed in Kansas, Germany, South Korea, and Bosnia. He took on the role of prosecutor and later defense counsel during his tenure.

Now on the Ohio bench, Judge McDowell is committed to setting the tone of his courtroom based on what he learned from other judges throughout his career.

“I believe in courtesy and treating everybody with dignity and respect. In the courtroom, that starts with the judge,” he said.

Judge McDowell explained that everybody is a person, regardless of whether they are an attorney or a defendant.

“My job is not to be mean to somebody,” he said. “What you give is what you get.”

He wants everyone to feel as though they received fair treatment and justice when they leave his courtroom.

Beyond the bench, Judge McDowell is a lifelong numismatic, recognized as an expert in colonial coinage and medals with a specific interest in Connecticut coins.