Judge John Kessler is the presiding judge for the General Division of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. He has served on the bench since 1981 and is currently chair of the Judicial Budget Committee. Judge Kessler served as administrative judge from 1995 to 1998.

After graduating from the University of Toledo College of Law, Judge Kessler served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Montgomery County for four years. He then founded and acted as executive director of the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office for six years before joining the law firm of Hunt, Dodge, Little & Kessler as a partner in 1978.

Judge Kessler is a member of the Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association, the American Judges Association, the American Judicature Society, and the Dayton, Ohio State and American Bar Associations. He has served as president of the Montgomery County Trial Judges Conference and the Dayton chapter of the American Inns of Court Foundation. In addition, Judge Kessler is chair of the Judicial Corrections Board for the MonDay Community Correctional Institution and is the presiding judge for the Miami Conservancy Court. He has also received the Distinguished Jurist Award from the Miami Valley Trial Lawyers Association.

Courses
LAW 729 Negotiation/Mediation