McGrath and Pfeiffer to retire from Ohio courts

January 1, 2011

Ohio: Two veteran judges of Franklin County, Ohio have announced their respective retirements: Patrick McGrath from the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals and Beverly Pfeiffer from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

Judge Patrick McGrath, who is 68, retired from appellate court at the end of his current term on January 1, 2011. "I don't want to fall off the bench; I want to walk off," he explained. He will continue to serve as a visiting judge in the Common Pleas Court. He spent most of his legal career working in the trial courts, first as an assistant Columbus city attorney for 18 years, then as a judge of the Common Pleas Court from 1988 until his election to the Court of Appeals in 2004. He will be replaced by former Municipal Court Judge Julia L. Dorrian.

Judge Beverly Pfeiffer, 53, explained, "I want to go out while I feel like I'm still on top of the game." She has served on the Common Pleas Court since 1992. Previously, she worked as a lawyer for approximately 9 years, including service as an assistant Ohio attorney general. She will be replaced by Mark Serrott on January 3, 2011.