CINCINNATI — Judge Melissa Powers was voted to fill the role of Hamilton County prosecutor after Joe Deters was tapped to fill a spot on the Ohio State Supreme Court in late December, according to the Hamilton County Republican Party.
Powers will be sworn in on Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. by Deters, a social media post from the party said.
The party's central committee "voted overwhelmingly" to appoint Powers to the position, said the post.
Deters was sworn in to his new role Jan. 7. He, like Powers, will have to run for election to maintain the position past their initial appointments. Both will face elections in 2024.
Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor retired Dec. 31, allowing Justice Sharon Kennedy to move into her vacancy. Governor Mike DeWine appointed Deters to then fill Kennedy's space.
Powers was an administrative judge for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, elected for a six-year term that began at the start of 2017 and would have just ended.
She's no stranger to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, having begun her legal career there, according to her profile on the juvenile court's website.
Her profile also said Powers established the first Hamilton County Veterans Treatment Court to address the unique needs of "justice-involved combat veterans." The treatment-based court became a model that was implemented throughout the state of Ohio as a way for courts to prioritize addiction and post-traumatic stress therapy.
Powers has been a Cincinnatian all her life and graduated from McAuley High School, the University of Cincinnati and then the University of Cincinnati School of Law.
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