Joe Deters will be sworn in as the 163rd Supreme Court justice on Jan. 7.

Joe Deters will be sworn in as the 163rd Supreme Court justice on Jan. 7.

Joseph T. Deters, the longest-serving prosecutor in Hamilton County history, is appointed to serve as the 163rd justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

"Quite simply, it is the honor of a lifetime…" said Deters.

Ohio governor Mike DeWine announced the appointment of Deters, 65, to fill Justice Sharon Kennedy’s unexpired term. Chief Justice-Elect Kennedy will assume the seat of Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who will retire at the end of the month because of a constitutional age limit.

To retain his seat beyond the term of Gov. Mike DeWine’s appointment, Deters must win election in November 2024 for the final two years of the term.

The Cincinnati native has been the Hamilton County prosecutor twice, from 1992-1999 and 2005-present. Deters has previously been elected statewide as Ohio Treasurer for two terms and served 6 years in that role. He was also elected earlier in his career as Hamilton County Clerk of Courts.

"I have spent my entire career standing up for victims and protecting the rights of criminal defendants,” said Deters. “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 received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Cincinnati. He is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, National District Attorney’s Association, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, and various civic organizations.

Deters will be sworn in on Jan. 7, 2023.