The First District Court of Appeals serves Hamilton County and is one of twelve appellate districts in the State of Ohio. The judges of the First District Court of Appeals include Judge Pierre H. Bergeron, Judge Ginger S. Bock, Judge Candace C. Crouse, Judge Robert C. Winkler, and  Judge Marilyn Zayas. Judge Jennifer Kinsley was recently sworn in as the newest member of the court and Judge Beth A. Myers recently retired from the court.

New Administrative Leadership
Judge Candace C. Crouse has been selected by her colleagues to serve as the Administrative and Presiding Judge for 2023. She is responsible for the administration, docket, and calendar for the court. Judge Crouse took the bench in February 2019.

“I was honored to be selected as the Presiding/Administrative Judge for 2023. I am so proud of the improvements that our fantastic administration and my predecessors, Judges Bergeron and Myers, have made to our court. I am looking forward to continuing to make the court more efficient and better able to serve the people of Hamilton County.”

After graduating from Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2000, Judge Crouse spent two years clerking for the Honorable Fredrick P. Stamp, Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. She returned to Ohio to practice law and represented clients in state and federal court at the trial and appellate levels.

Court Welcomes New Judge to the Bench
On Feb. 8, 2023, Judge Jennifer Kinsley took her oath of office at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

“Every case involves real people and real communities whose lives are impacted.  As I embark on this new journey in my career, I will not forget the people and communities who entrusted me to serve them.  I am grateful to join such an esteemed group of judges who keep justice at the forefront of everything they do.”

Judge Kinsley is coming from the Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law where she will continue to teach. She is a graduate of the Duke University School of Law and the University of Florida.

Celebrating Four Decades of Service
It was the changing of the guard as the legal community celebrated Judge Beth A. Myers’ 20 years on the bench and over 20 years of practice when she retired on Feb. 8, 2023.

Judge Myers was selected twice to sit as a visiting judge on the Supreme Court and has served the profession on a statewide and local level. Before being elected to the First District in 2016, Judge Myers spent more than 13 years as a judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas and handled more than 2,000 business-related disputes. Judge Myers also served as Administrative and Presiding Judge for Hamilton County Common Pleas Court in 2013.

“I am so blessed to have had a wonderful and rewarding career that I loved - 21 years at Frost Brown Todd where I was a partner in the litigation department, 13 years on the common pleas bench where I also served as a commercial docket judge, and six years on the court of appeals. I also am grateful to the professional and community organizations who allowed me to volunteer during my 40 plus year career. I was honored to be able to serve the citizens of Hamilton County, our community and our profession.  I look forward to the “next chapter” and to continued service.”

Year in Review
As the First District Court of Appeals is reconstituted for 2023, it released its second annual report .

Court Administrator Julie Kahrs Nessler explained the court began reporting to the community in 2021.

“Under the direction of Administrative Judge Bergeron, the court embarked upon a number of initiatives and programs aimed to modernize court operations and increase accessibility of the court for the citizens of Hamilton County. This report details case-related statistics, as well as providing information about on-going projects and the court’s work in the community.”

Under the direction of Administrative Judge Myers, the First District again made improvements to operations, access to the court, and its technology. To view the 2022 Annual Report in its entirety, click here.