Chris McDowell
OH · Judge, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division
Hamilton County Common Pleas judge appointed by Governor Mike DeWine in August 2025. He was a partner at Strauss Troy, a village and city prosecutor, and an Army lawyer overseas.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 12 records
Sentenced Iesha Harris to 90 days in jail for two earlier courtroom contempt incidents and fined her $250 for damage to a courtroom trash can.
May 26, 2026
Source: fox19.com
Acquitted Marshee Luther of murder and felonious assault after a two-day bench trial, finding she acted in self-defense.
May 8, 2026
Source: aol.com
Publicly criticized prosecutors' handling of a threat case involving his family and called for better case updates to victims.
April 28, 2026
Source: fox19.com
Declared Derrick Jamison, who had spent 20 years on Ohio's death row, wrongfully imprisoned after a two-day bench trial.
March 5, 2026
Source: fox19.com
Asked the Hamilton County sheriff's office to add armed deputies to Common Pleas courtrooms amid security and case-delay concerns.
February 23, 2026
Source: fox19.com
Denied former police officer Jacob Goodwin's request for early release from a 14-year armed-robbery sentence.
February 17, 2026
Source: fox19.com
Resentenced Jabari Johnson to six months in prison after learning he had given a false answer about his citizenship at the first sentencing hearing.
September 18, 2025
Source: wlwt.com
Was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division.
August 22, 2025
Source: fox19.com
Began serving as an attorney member of the Supreme Court of Ohio's Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law.
February 13, 2025
Source: supremecourt.ohio.gov
Joined a lawsuit seeking to remove Cincinnati Councilmember Jeff Pastor after Pastor's federal corruption indictment.
November 18, 2020
Source: fox19.com
Represented Mark Wangler with two other attorneys in his aggravated-murder appeal; the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction.
October 22, 2012
Source: supremecourt.ohio.gov
Joined the appellate brief for Jerry Gunter's federal drug-sentencing appeal; the Sixth Circuit affirmed the sentence.
September 8, 2010
Source: govinfo.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 1 favorable
Co-defended a client in a Boone County felony trial that ended with a hung jury voting 9–3 for acquittal.
August 29, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: strausstroy.com
Past race Chris McDowell ran in:
- Judge, Court of Common Pleas, General Division - Unexpired Term Ending 01/03/2029 · November 3, 2026 · Hamilton County, Ohio · incumbent