Longtime court employees ‘pull the pin’

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

More than six decades of law enforcement/court experience walked out the double doors of the Van Wert County Courthouse on Friday as Van Wert County Common Pleas Court reporter/bailiff Dennis Kimmet and Adult Probation Officer Frank Bowen officially retired.

Both Kimmet and Bowen have embodied the “law” and “order” portions of law enforcement, as each reached the top rungs of local law enforcement agencies before taking their court-related positions.

Kimmet was a member of the Delphos Police Department for 27 years, serving as police chief for 21 of those years, while Bowen served a total of 16 years in the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Department, rising to chief deputy under Sheriff Jerry Brittsan.

Bowen joined the probation office in 1991 under then-Judge Sumner E. Walters and served as chief probation officer for much of that time.

Kimmet became court reporter in 1998, also under Judge Walters.

Judge Charles D. Steele was very appreciative of the service provided by both Kimmet and Bowen.

“I’ve been blessed from the time I got here with having these two guys to make my job here so much easier to do,” Judge Steele said. “These two guys are going to be missed.”

Kimmet said he enjoyed his time as court reporter, adding that “every day was different.” He also noted, though, that the work also increased steadily over his tenure, with the Common Pleas caseload more than doubling, from an average of 90 cases a year in 1998 to approximately 250 a year today. “The work became more intense, it moved more quickly,” Kimmet said. “We’ve got a little more efficient, I hope.”

The longtime court reporter also put in a plug for county employees in general, noting that, while the number of county employees hasn’t grown, the workload has gotten much bigger.

Technology has also changed over the years, said Kimmet, who also handled technology needs in the Courthouse.

Bowen said he really enjoyed his time at the sheriff’s department, but added that he was ready for a change when Judge Walters sought him out to become a probation officer in 1991.

Bowen personally thanked Judge Walters, who attended the reception with his wife, Cheryl, for giving him the opportunity to serve in the probation department. “Back in 1991, Judge Walters called me and wanted to know if I’d like a job in the courthouse working in his court, and get off the road a little bit and, boy, did I jump at that,” Bowen said. “He doesn’t realize how much I appreciated that.”

Bowen praised both Judge Walters and Judge Steele, noting: “These two guys, Judge Walters and Judge Steele, you couldn’t want to work for any better people.”

Bowen added that, while he has also enjoyed his time in the probation department, there have been plenty of changes over the years.

“The biggest change I see is (lack of) respect for the law and authority,” he said, noting the lack of respect has become more prevalent in the last decade. “That’s what’s really changed.”

The retiring probation officer also got a few laughs in his final comment on his career. “It was a good job to get into and it’s a good job to get out of,” he noted.

Both Kimmet and Bowen said the main difference in court cases today and from a decade ago is the large number of substance abuse-related cases. Bowen said that, back in the early 1990s, most cases were thefts, burglaries and related offenses, with a few drug cases thrown in. Today, the vast majority of cases are related to either drug or alcohol abuse, he noted.

The two men said they plan to take some time off and enjoy life for awhile, although Kimmet still sits on the county Veterans Service Commission, noting that he would likely be in the Courthouse a couple times a week on veterans service work.

Michael Kirkendall, former Van Wert Victims Services director, replaced Kimmet at court reporter, while Youth Bureau probation officer Bruce Showalter replaces Bowen in the Adult Probation Department.