Hamilton County Prosecutor to be appointed to Ohio Supreme Court

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is appointing Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Deters has been the prosecutor in Hamilton County for a combined total of around 25 years. He served from 1992-1999 and then from 2005 to the present.

He has also served as that county’s clerk of courts and been the Ohio State treasurer twice. As treasurer, he was “responsible for collecting, managing and investing more than $11 billion in assets for the State of Ohio,” according to DeWine’s Office.

Deters has never served as a judge.

“Joe Deters has the right combination of experience, legal knowledge and passion for public service that will serve the citizens of Ohio well as an associate justice of the Ohio Supreme Court,” said DeWine. “Joe is a long-serving and well-regarded public servant who is known for his legal intellect, reverence for the rule of law, and his accessibility.”

Deters called DeWine’s decision to have him serve on the state’s highest court “an honor.”

“It is the honor of a lifetime to accept this appointment to the Ohio Supreme Court,” said Deters. “I have spent my entire career standing up for victims and protecting the rights of criminal defendants. I appreciate the trust and responsibility that comes with this appointment and look forward to working with my colleagues on the Supreme Court to ensure Ohio’s justice system protects the rights of all Ohioans.”

Deters graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1975, the University of Cincinnati in 1979 and the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1982.

Deters will be sworn in on Jan. 7. He will fill the unexpired term of Justice Sharon Kennedy.

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