Judge of Court of Appeals - 2nd District - Term Commencing 2/9/2027
No. to be elected: 4-12 from 12 districts | Salary: $169,075 | Term: 6 yearsResponsibilities: Hears appeals from the Common Pleas, County, and Municipal Courts. Decisions made by a Court of Appeals judge are final, except in cases involving constitutional questions, felony cases, cases in which it has original jurisdiction, and cases of public or great general interest.
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Chris Epley
(Rep)
List your judicial experience (courts and years).
What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Why are you running for this specific court seat?
What major challenges do courts face today? How would you address them?
What do you perceive as the greatest obstacle to justice, if any?
Training and Experience
Judge, Second District Court of Appeals.
Volunteer/Community Service
Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, Chair.
Judge, Ohio Second District Court of Appeals. February 2021 - present.
(Presiding and Administrative Judge, 2024, 2025)
In addition to previously managing my own law practice, I served as a part-time municipal court prosecutor for 17 years and a part-time magistrate for 11 years. I taught appellate practice and procedure at the University of Dayton School of law for 18 years and continue to serve as an alumni association board member.
Prior to my 2020 election, I was an elected member of city council for 6 years and a school board member for 4 years. I am active with the Ohio Judicial Conference and a faculty member with the Ohio Judicial College.
I am in the sixth year as a Judge on the Ohio Second District Court of Appeals. It has been an honor and privilege to serve, and I look forward to serving another term on the bench. Our district is comprised on six counties, and I participate in each of those counties' bar associations events. I find it important to be active and visible in our communities.
Most seminars I attend have an AI component. Courts have been dealing with legal filings that include hallucinated cases and incorrect legal citations / law. Judges and staff are spending more time on AI generated briefs than ever before. Some courts are drafting local rules to address this issue.
In smaller counties in the state, there may be limited access to legal representation. The Commission on Professionalism and the Ohio State Bar Association continue to work on the rural practice initiative to address these obstacles.
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