Office: Hamilton County – Ohio First District Court of Appeals
Age: 57
Residence: Blue Ash, OH
Email: judgewinkler@yahoo.com
Website: judgewinkler.com; Facebook: Judge Robert C. Winkler; Instagram: @judgewinkler
Occupation: Judge
Education: J.D. Chase College of Law, 1987
Work Experience: Attorney 1987 to 2002; Hamilton County Municipal
Court 2002 to 2006; Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas 2006 to
present.
Family: Married with a son and twin daughters.
Affiliations: Member of Common Pleas Judges Association, Cincinnati
Bar Association, and Ohio State Bar Association; Moot Court Judge;
Youth Athletics Coach.
Endorsements: Hamilton County Republican Party; Greater Cincinnati
Right to Life
Bar Association Ratings: The Cincinnati Bar Association has
discontinued judicial ratings.
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years):
I was elected to the Hamilton County Municipal Court in 2001 and
served from January 2002 to April 2006. In April 2006, I was appointed
to the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas and elected in
November 2006. I was reelected in 2008 and 2014 and currently serve
as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas.
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a
judge?
Prior to taking the bench in 2001, I served as an Assistant Hamilton
County Prosecutor for seven years. I prosecuted criminal matters in the
Juvenile, Municipal, and Felony divisions. Additionally, I engaged in the
private practice of law for over eight years representing clients in civil
as well as criminal matters. As an attorney, I tried numerous criminal
and civil cases in the various courts of Hamilton County. I am admitted
to practice law in Ohio, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District
of Ohio and the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am running for the First District Court of Appeals because I am
uniquely and particularly qualified to serve. As an intermediate
appellate court, the primary function of a court of appeals is to hear
appeals from the common pleas court and the county municipal court.
Having served the citizens of Hamilton County for over sixteen years as
a trial court judge on both the Hamilton County Municipal Court and
the Court of Common Pleas, I possess the judicial experience, training,
and knowledge to competently and professionally execute the
responsibilities required of a judge serving of the First District Court of
Appeals.
After 15 years of experience as a prosecuting attorney, defense
attorney, and civil attorney, I was elected to the Hamilton County
Municipal Court in 2001. I served on the Municipal Court until I
became a judge on the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. I was
elected to the Court of Common Pleas in 2006, 2008, and 2014. In
2015, I was elected by my colleagues on the Court of Common Pleas to
lead the Court as the Presiding and Administrative Judge.
During my tenure as a trial judge, I have presided over more than
32,000 civil and criminal cases including cases that range from traffic
and employment law cases to death penalty cases. In my 30 years of
experience, I have tried countless bench and jury trial cases as a lawyer
and as a judge and I will bring that informed perspective and knowledge
of the law to the First District Court of Appeals. I have a long-standing
and demonstrated respect for the law and justice. I have taken my
responsibilities and duties as a judge very seriously. I am honored that
the citizens of Hamilton County have elected to invest their trust and
confidence in me to serve as a trial court judge for over 16 years. I look
forward to bringing my experience, commitment, and dedication to the
First District Court of Appeals.