MOUNT VERNON – Attorney Christina I. Reiheld, of Danville, was sworn in Tuesday as Magistrate by Knox County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Jay W. Nixon.
“The entire court staff is excited for Christina to join the team,” Nixon said. “She has proven herself as an outstanding attorney and Guardian ad Litem, and she brings with her a wealth of experience in juvenile and custody law.”
Reiheld will begin hearing cases immediately. She will preside primarily over private custody and child support matters.
Reiheld graduated summa cum laude from the University of Akron School of Law in 2003. During law school, she served as the Executive Editor of the Akron Law Review and the Akron Tax Journal. She interned for Federal Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Following graduation, Reiheld worked as a judicial attorney for Judge Lynn Slaby of the Ninth District Court of Appeals, and for Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Reiheld has been in private practice for over 10 years, serving clients in Knox, Ashland, Holmes, and Wayne counties, primarily in the areas of domestic relations, juvenile, and criminal law.
Also, Common Pleas Judge Richard Wetzel administered the oath to Nixon, who was appointed by Gov. John Kasich to fill the unexpired term of Judge Jennifer Springer. Springer took a medical leave of absence in April and retired on Oct. 31.
The swearing-in ceremony, held at 8:45 a.m., preceded a Monday docket that included six or seven hearings. Noting that “we have a lot of work to do,” Nixon said that work does not include an excess of accumulated cases thanks to judges James Ronk, Kenneth Spicer, and Douglas Chamberlain who filled in during Springer’s absence from the bench.
“Luckily, we don’t have much of a backlog,” Nixon said. “The visiting judges did a very good job keeping up. The big things will be doing paperwork and appointing a magistrate.
“Nixon’s unexpired term will end Feb. 8, 2021. He must run in the November 2020 election to retain the seat for the full term beginning Feb. 9, 2021.
Nixon was one of three candidates the executive committee of the Knox County Republican Party recommended to replace Springer. He has served as magistrate since February 2015.
“This is really great because this is the next generation taking over, and that’s good to see,” said Executive Committee Member Doug McLarnan regarding Nixon’s appointment. “He’s young enough to be open and old enough to be seasoned. As a magistrate, he’s had some experience, and he’s very involved in the community.”
The 38-year-old Nixon received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and his law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law. He was previously an associate attorney with Zelkowitz, Barry, & Cullers, Ltd.
