The Hon. Jennifer L. Sargus (Ret.) served as a judge for the General Division of the Belmont County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio. Sargus was appointed to the bench by former Governor Richard Celeste in 1989. She retired on May 31, 2013.
Sargus was instrumental in the creation of the Belmont County Drug Court. She also established the Intensive Probation Department within the court.
Prior to her appointment, Sargus was a partner at Volk, Frankovitch, Anetakis and Recht, the largest law firm in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Sargus earned a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in 1975. She then completed a J.D. at Vanderbilt Law School in 1978.
After graduating from law school, Sargus began her legal career as an assistant public defender for the Belmont County Public Defender’s Office. She served in that capacity for two years, eventually leaving to become an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office. Then, in 1981, she became an associate at Schrader, Stamp, Byrd, Byrum and Johnson. She specialized in federal black lung litigation, representing miners in three states.
Her memberships have included the Ohio Bar Title Association. She also teaches Trial Advocacy at the Ohio State University College of Law.
Sargus and her husband, Ed, have two children.
She is registered as a Democrat.