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Linger files petition to retain Municipal Court Judge seat

LISBON — Columbiana County Municipal Court Judge Kelly Linger filed petitions Tuesday to retain the Jan. 1 seat she was appointed to fill last summer.

The Wellsville resident and Columbiana County native issued a press release announcing her decision to run for the Republican nomination in the May 6 primary election, one day before the filing deadline falls at the county Board of Elections at 4 p.m. today for partisan candidates, local liquor options and issues.

Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Linger in June to fill the vacancy created when former Municipal Court Judge Katelyn Dickey was appointed to the Seventh District Court of Appeals. Linger was one of three candidates interviewed for the judgeship, including fellow county assistant prosecutors Christopher Weeda and Danielle Menning.

The press release said that during her 18 years of service, she represented plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases, landlords, tenants, criminal defendants and victims of crimes.

“Judge Linger believes that her appointment to the bench was based upon the depth and variety of her legal background compared to the other potential candidates,” the press release said, with Linger commenting, “There is no type of case that would come before me as judge that I haven’t personally handled throughout my career, making me uniquely qualified to continue to serve as your Municipal Court Judge.”

Since taking the bench, she has initiated programming for legal assistance for veterans and workshops to assist county residents with barriers to obtain valid driver’s licenses, according to the press release.

A 1997 graduate of Beaver Local High School, she attended Kent State University and after graduation attended Cleveland Marshall College of Law, where she earned her law degree in 2006.

Before her appointment to the bench, she spent 18 years practicing law, with 17 of those years in Columbiana County. The press release said she operated a successful private law firm in the county for 16 years, handling a variety of cases, including civil and criminal litigation. During that time, she also served the county as a public defender for 14 years, representing defendants accused of crimes at all levels of the county judicial system. She was president of the Columbiana County Defense League for four of those 14 years and also served as acting judge in the East Liverpool Municipal Court.

In 2021, she was hired by county Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino to work for his administration, handling a variety of civil and criminal cases. She left that position last year after being appointed as judge. Linger’s memberships include the Federalist Society, NRA, Association of Municipal/County Court Judges, Inc., Conservatives in Action Caucus, and Columbiana County Farm Bureau.

Columbiana County Municipal Court Judge Tim McNicol also filed to keep his Jan. 2 seat as a Republican.

Other candidates who filed their petitions with the Board of Elections include: Columbiana, Republican incumbent Mayor Rick Noel, Republican incumbent Councilman Ted Souder and Republican council candidate Bobby Quetot; East Liverpool, Democrat incumbent Councilman At Large John Mercer; Salem, Republican Evan Newman running for president of council (currently serving as At Large Councilman; At Large Council candidates, all Republicans, newcomers Mike Weir and Trent Tice and former Third Ward councilman Dennis Plegge; Leetonia, Republican incumbent councilman Roman Ferry, Democrat incumbent Councilman William Garlough, Democrat council candidate William Merdich (former councilman), and Democrat council candidate Leisa Lorch; and Lisbon, Republican incumbent Councilwoman Melissa Hiner.

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