December 9th new judges Ohio Judicial Conference

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County Common Pleas Court will again have two judges with the appointment of Northern Division Court Judge Chris Berhalter to the bench, following the retirement of Frank Fregiato in June.

Berhalter will join fellow common pleas Judge John Vavra and Al Davies, juvenile and probate court judge.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Berhalter’s appointment on Thursday. Berhalter, a resident of Martins Ferry, will assume office Sept. 1. He will serve the remainder of the unfinished term and will need to run for election in 2024 to retain the seat.

Berhalter began his career in law in 1996 at the firm of Sommer, Librati & Berhalter. He became a partner of the firm in 2000. In 2004, he was elected Belmont County prosecuting attorney. Berhalter was elected in 2014 as Belmont County court judge, Northern Division, and served in that role until his appointment to the common pleas level.

Berhalter said he looks forward to bringing his approach and courtroom management style to the felony court level.

“I am very honored and humbled to have been selected by Gov. Dewine to continue to serve, and I do believe it’s a reflection on the work that we have been doing on Northern Court and what we’ve been able to accomplish and continue to accomplish,” he said.

“It was a difficult decision that I made to seek the appointment. We have a hard working, outstanding staff here at Northern who share my philosophy, and that’s treat everyone with respect, follow and interpret the law, but don’t make the law, and for sentencing purposes never forgetting that everyone makes a mistake, yet always mindful of protecting the public from those who cause harm, and it is my plan to take that philosophy to a different level, the court of common pleas,” he said.

He noted that while the felony court cases are by nature more serious than those at the county court level, his time as prosecutor has given him experience with a wide range of cases, including the most serious.

“With nearly nine-plus years as the honor of serving as prosecuting attorney and then in Northern Court, I believe I’m going into this position prepared and without a learning curve,” he said.

Berhalter said he intends to be part of the drug court program, which gives low-level, non-violent drug offenders the option of treatment and counseling in lieu of a sentence behind bars.

“At Northern Court, we see firsthand the devastation that’s caused by drug addiction, and therefore it is my plan to continue the drug court program in the hopes that it does make a difference,” he said.

He also commented on the reactions of his friends and colleagues.

“I’ve been humbled by the amount of phone calls and text messages I’ve received offering congratulations as well as words of support,” he said.

Berhalter is a two-time graduate of The Ohio State University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism in 1993 and juris doctor in 1996.

Berhalter is a member of the Ohio Judicial Conference, the Belmont County Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association. He serves on the board of directors of the Belmont County District Library, the Ohio River Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Belmont County Agricultural Society.

Berhalter serves as scoutmaster of Troop 52. In 1988, he received the Boy Scouts of America’s highest honor, the rank of Eagle Scout.

Fregiato, who held court behind the common pleas bench since 2013, said Berhalter is an ideal choice for his successor.

“Judge Chris Berhalter will do an excellent job. He has had tremendous experience in the county courts,” Fregiato said.

David Jones, chairman of the Belmont County Republican Party, said there was interest in the common pleas judge position. The party submitted recommendations to the governor, since Fregiato was elected as a Republican.

“I think all the candidates that submitted their names … I think all of them was qualified, and I think Chris will do a great job,” he said.

Jones said the governor will now appoint another judge to Belmont County Northern Division Court to complete Berhalter’s term, which expires at the end of 2024. The county GOP will compile a list of names for recommendation.

“We interview them and we send all the information to the governor, and he makes that decision, and I don’t think it’ll take him long to do it,” Jones said. “I think he’ll act even faster on replacing Berhalter than he did replacing Frank, just through the process. … I don’t know who that’s going to be. They’re going to have to send a resume to me and we’ll see. I’ve had a few people approach me and say they was interested, but until they send me a resume, I don’t know who that is. That should happen real soon.”

Jones said anyone interested in filling the Northern Division Court position should send a resume to his home address at 400 E. High St., Flushing, OH 43977. A deadline for applications has not yet been set.

“We haven’t had time to decide that because they just now appointed him, but we’ll do that,” Jones added. “The sooner they get it in, the better, because we can interview them and send their names in to the governor.”