Montgomery County judge to retire; two file for Common Pleas seat

Judge Dennis Langer speaks to Charlie Myers about a letter he wrote to Langer while in prison during the sentencing procedures in court on Friday, Feb. 19. Myers, accused of shooting Jenny Nelson, a Harrison Twp. woman and kidnapping her 4-year-old son last year, pleaded guilty to all charges in exchange for a life without parole sentence.

Credit: Jim witmer

Credit: Jim witmer

Judge Dennis Langer speaks to Charlie Myers about a letter he wrote to Langer while in prison during the sentencing procedures in court on Friday, Feb. 19. Myers, accused of shooting Jenny Nelson, a Harrison Twp. woman and kidnapping her 4-year-old son last year, pleaded guilty to all charges in exchange for a life without parole sentence.

Judge Dennis Langer, a fixture on the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court bench, is retiring and two people have filed petitions seeking the judgeship.

Kate Bowling, a Centerville Republican, and Mary Montgomery, a Democrat from Oakwood, each turned in petitions with the county’s Board of Elections prior to the filing deadline Wednesday.

Langer’s retirement was confirmed Wednesday by Montgomery County Common Pleas Court administrator James Dare.

Langer has been a General Division judge since 1995 and was previously an assistant Montgomery County prosecuting attorney.

Bowling is an attorney and acting judge in Kettering Municipal Court. Montgomery is chief of the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Civil Division.

Petitions are required to be certified by county elections boards by Feb. 19 for the Nov. 6 ballot.

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