Tornichio will start his new role on Oct. 1 but will be required to run for election in the November 2016 race to retain his seat for the remainder of the unexpired term, which will end on Dec. 31, 2018.
“I was humbled and honored that the governor looked at three very well-qualified applicants for this position and felt that I was the best one for the job,” he said.
Tornichio, 46, will replace Judge Robert W. Hutchinson who retired earlier this year.
“This is terrific news,” said Greene County Prosecutor Stephen Haller. “I’m so excited and so pleased the governor selected Adolfo. We’ll miss him.”
In addition to working as a county assistant prosecutor, Tornichio has served as the Greene County Republican Party Central Committee executive chair, the Beavercreek Planning Commission chair and a commissioner on the Ohio Supreme Court Board of Character and Fitness.
Tornichio has performed almost every job in the prosecutor’s office and the appointment to juvenile court will be a good fit for him, Haller said.
“He’s a well-rounded lawyer,” Haller said. “He’s a good litigator … He’s familiar with the issues. He’s familiar with how the system works. He’s familiar with the people that he’s going to have to work with on both sides of the bench, so I think this is a natural progression.”
Tornichio has worked for the prosecutor’s office for 19 years, currently assigned to the adult criminal docket. In that role, which he has held since 2003, he has prosecuted murder and rape cases and drug-related crimes.
When Tornichio transitioned from prosecuting juveniles to adults, he realized there were several familiar faces among the defendants. He had prosecuted them in juvenile court. Now, his new role is an opportunity to find ways to try to break that cycle, he said.
“That’s why I want to go back to juvenile court in this new role is to try to build upon the success of Judge Hutchinson and reach out to the at-risk children in this county to stem the tide of what I’ve seen on the adult docket.”
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