The announcement was made on Friday and Driscoll will be taking over a vacancy left by longtime Clark County Municipal Court Judge Denise Moody, who retired in April.
Driscoll was one of three individuals from Clark County recommended for the position to the Ohio Governor. Those recommended for the judge seat had to be residents of Clark County and have had to practice law for at least six years.
Since Gov. DeWine is a Republican the local republican central committee was asked to recommend three individuals for judge position, according to Clark County Republican Chairman Dan Harkins.
Harkins said that traditionally those recommendations are made by the central committee of the political party of whoever is governor at the time.
Moody officially retired on April 30 and there was a 10 day period for those seeking that seat to file a petition with the Board of Elections.
Harkins said the three people that were recommended by his party to the governor’s office will be on the ballot in November. Though Driscoll was appointed on Friday he will still have to run for election in November to continue serving in the position.
Driscoll will be running against Dan Martin and Valerie Wilt. The winner of that race will take the municipal court judge seat by the end of November, Harkins said.
Martin currently works in the Ohio Attorney General’s office and is a former Springfield City Commissioner. Wilt is a trial lawyer and her practice includes cases related to domestic relations, Harkins said.
No other people will be listed on the ballot for that race as the filing deadline passed on May 10.
The winner of that race will serve the remainder of Moody’s unexpired term, which will end on Dec. 31, 2025.
Driscoll has served as a felony trial attorney for the Clark County Prosecutor, who is currently his brother Dan Driscoll.
As a trial attorney, Brian Driscoll has prosecuted cases related to major violent crimes, felony firearms, felony drugs, and domestic violence, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Prior to that, Driscoll worked as an attorney for Driscoll Law Office and Warden & Driscoll Law Offices LLP.
Driscoll previously filed a petition to run in the Republican primary held in May for another open municipal court seat. However, he withdrew from that race.
The winner of that primary was Daniel Carey who will be running against Democratic nominee David Herier. They are running for a seat currently held by Judge Thomas E. Trempe who will retire after his term ends in December.
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