Tenth District Court of Appeals Judge Frederick D. Nelson

Tenth District Court of Appeals Judge Frederick D. Nelson

Tenth District Court of Appeals Judge Frederick D. Nelson served as a visiting judge on the Ohio Supreme Court today for a case questioning whether a trial court has the discretion to impose a sentence of 25 years to life in a child rape case.

Judge Nelson sat in for Justice Patrick F. Fischer, who recused himself from State of Ohio v. Adam Bowers, Case No. 2019-1282.

“It was a great privilege to be able to sit, albeit remotely, with this highly distinguished court,” Judge Nelson said. “I very much appreciate the kindness of the learned chief justice and her colleagues, as well as the incredibly welcoming and proficient Court staff who helps operations run so smoothly even in this odd time.”

Judge Nelson was appointed to the Tenth District by Gov. Mike DeWine last year. Previously, Judge Nelson was a senior adviser and director of major litigation for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Before that, he was a Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge, and he served as associate White House counsel to President George H.W. Bush.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College and his law degree from Harvard Law School.