Former Chillicothe Police Chief Keith Washburn will put on the robe of a Chillicothe Municipal Court judge at the end of the month.

I happened to meet him at an Inauguration Party Monday night at “The Postmark” in Chillicothe, and asked him about his experience and how it will inform his judgeship.

“I’ve seen everything from the ground level – I’ve been a first responder on everything from a parking ticket to a homicide,” he said. “Just knowing what happens on the streets – to bring that to the courtroom, I think that gives me a little bit of an advantage.”

Former Chillicothe Law Director Toni Eddy retired from the position in November. Washburn said he was among recommendations by the Ross County Republican Party, and was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine on January 10th…but will not be sworn in until January 31st, to take office on February 3rd.

In the meantime, he said an acting judge has been appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court. Washburn will serve the remainder of Eddy’s term, and will have to run for re-election in November. The official news release has Washburn’s resumé, which you can find in our article on his appointment.

Washburn served as an Intelligence Analyst Specialist in the United States Army from 1990 to 1993. In 1995, he joined the Chillicothe Police Department as a patrolman, and later became the Chief of Police until May 2020.

After his juris doctorate from Capital University Law School, Washburn began his law career in 2018 as the owner of Washburn Law Office. He says when went to law school, he expected that would be “the pinnacle of my career. But I never thought that [the judgeship] would happen…fortunately, God put me in the right spot.”

After leaving the Chillicothe Police department, he served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office until October 2020. Since then he has worked as a staff attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Labor Council.

Washburn explained that there are only two Chillicothe Municipal Court judges, who in contrast with the name, cover the entire county (but also replace former city courts). He said his upcoming duties will include misdemeanor crimes, preliminary hearings for felonies, civil cases under $15K – and probably many drug, domestic violence, DUI, and traffic cases.

Hear Washburn in his own words in the interview video (with the OSU football game in the background) in the article on the Scioto Post.

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.

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