Judge Fortney will retire in December

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert County Republicans will be making recommendations for a replacement for Juvenile-Probate Court Judge Rex Fortney, who announced his retirement earlier this week in a letter to Ohio Governor John Kasich (click here to see the letter).

Judge Fortney, who plans to retire, effective December 31, cited three reasons for retiring at this time. Those included proposed statutory changes currently being considered by the Ohio General Assembly that would affect public employee retirement benefits, the fact that his wife, Bev, a kindergarten teacher in the Van Wert City Schools, retired at the end of the 2010-2011 school year, and the death of his father and a close friend who was also close to Judge Fortney’s age, which the judge said “was a poignant reminder of the uncertainties of life and death.”

Judge Fortney, 61, has served as Probate-Juvenile Court judge for 27 years, starting in 1985, and also spent 10 years in private practice and four years as Van Wert law director (1980-1983).

In addition to his wife, the judge has two children, Laura Fortney Gross, an attorney in West Palm Beach, Fla., and a son, Ryan, a local government auditor for Auditor of State Dave Yost’s office, who lives in Lewis Center.

“I have certainly enjoyed the opportunity to serve as judge for the citizens of Van Wert County,” Judge Fortney said.

With the judge’s impending retirement, the Van Wert County Central Committee will be accepting applications for the position. After reviewing candidates for the job, the Central Committee will make recommendations to Governor Kasich, who will appoint a replacement for Judge Fortney.

Any candidate for the job will need to commit to running for election in 2012 for the judge’s unexpired term of office, which runs through 2014, and also run for re-election in 2014, according to Central Committee Chairman Martin Burchfield.