The Hon. David B. Bender is a judge for the Probate and Juvenile Division of the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor John Kasich on May 18, 2011, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Nancy Drake Hammond.
Bender spearheaded the Parent Project, a new parent training program to help steer juveniles in the court system onto the right path. The 10-week program teaches participating parents step-by-step methods to use at home when dealing with adolescents that have challenging destructive behaviors.
He received a one-year suspension, a punishment stayed by the Ohio Supreme Court, for neglecting a client’s personal injury case during his transition from private practice to the bench. According to the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, Bender failed to settle the client’s claim or file suit before the statute of limitations deadline.
Prior to his appointment, Bender was the Prosecuting Attorney for the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office, a position he held since 2005.
Bender earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Toledo College of Law. He is admitted to practice law in Ohio and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
After graduating from law school, Bender entered into private practice, working as a partner at Butler & Bender. Then, in 1999, he opened his own law firm, the Bender Law Office.
His memberships have included the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Fayette County Bar Association.