PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Portsmouth City Council will consider asking the Ohio General Assembly to reduce the Portsmouth Municipal Court from two judgeships to one, according to a conference agenda released by the city manager’s office ahead of Monday’s council meeting.
The request is listed as a discussion item for the Oct. 26 meeting and would need action by state lawmakers, since the number of judges assigned to a municipal court is set by state law. Portsmouth Municipal Court currently has two elected judges, Steven L. Mowery and Russell D. Kegley, who serve staggered six-year terms and hear criminal, traffic and civil cases arising anywhere in Scioto County, according to the court.
The two-judge bench has drawn scrutiny before. In 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court issued Kegley a six-month, fully stayed suspension after finding he intervened to secure his son’s early release from jail following a domestic violence arrest, according to the court’s ruling.
Also on the agenda is CM 26-62, legislation authorizing a temporary cash advance to the city’s health department, and a discussion item on the Buckeye Terminal property, brought forward by 6th Ward Councilman Dennis Packard. The posted agenda did not include additional detail on either item.
The council’s conference meeting is scheduled for Monday at the city manager’s office, 728 Second St.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Portsmouth.
