PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Rebecca Bennett of Portsmouth has been appointed as the new judge for the Probate and Juvenile Division in Scioto County. She has served as a magistrate in the same division since 2015.

Governor Mike DeWine appointed Bennett to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of Judge R. Alan Lemons. Her term will start on July 22, 2024. To maintain her position, Bennett will need to run for reelection this November.

Bennett has extensive experience in various legal areas including custody, abuse and neglect cases, divorce, wills and estates, civil litigation, and juvenile delinquency. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science in 1984 and her law degree in 1988, both from Capital University.

Her career began as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Scioto County in 1992. She then practiced law privately at the law offices of Stephen C. Rodeheffer before returning to the prosecutor’s office in 2002. In 2005, Bennett became an assistant prosecuting attorney in Adams County, and in 2011, she moved on to be an assistant city solicitor and prosecutor for Portsmouth.

Bennett is active in her community, being a member of the Portsmouth Rotary Club, CRADLE Pregnancy Care Center, and Temple Baptist Church. She currently attends Grace Community at Bigelow Church.

She is also involved in professional organizations including the Ohio Association of Magistrates, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Scioto County Bar Association.