Administrative Judge Amy L. Searcy

Judge Amy Searcy Judge Amy Searcy was appointed to Hamilton County's Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations in May 2014 by Governor Kasich. She was then elected to her first six-year term in November, 2014 and again in November, 2020.

Judge Searcy was elected Administrative Judge in September, 2021 and again in August, 2022. As Administrative Judge, she is responsible for oversight of all aspects of the Court's operation. Prior to her tenure as Judge, Amy Searcy was Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, Magistrate in Hamilton County Municipal Court and a Senior Trial Attorney in Hamilton County Public Defenders' Office. In addition to her judicial and director experience, Judge Searcy has also served as an adjunct professor at the College of Mount St. Joseph, teaching Constitutional Law and Legal Principles; she mentored future leaders as a high school mock trial Legal Advisor. Searcy coached two State Champion mock trial teams: St. Xavier High School in 1998 and Oak Hills High School in 2007.  Oak Hills was also ranked 15th in the nation in 2007.

Judge Searcy is a lifelong resident of Hamilton County, graduating from William Henry Harrison High School, Xavier University and Salmon P. Chase College of Law, No. Kentucky University. Judge Searcy believes in giving back to the community. Judge Searcy has recently been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges, and she is serving on the Ohio Judicial Conference's Domestic Relations' Law and Procedure Committee. Judge Searcy has been appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court Judicial Subcommittee on Family Law Reform Implementation. She has served as a Board member of Talbert House and Prevention First. She also served on the Cincinnati Park Board Advisory Council and the Cincinnati Police "Citizens On Patrol". She is currently a Hamilton County Great Parks volunteer, and she serves on two Master Plan Committees, the City of Harrison Planning Committee and the Great Parks of Hamilton County Master Plan Committee.

Judge Searcy is a graduate of the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute, Class of 2013; the Cincinnati Bar Association Academy of Leadership for Lawyers, Class of 2006; and Beyond Civility, Class of 2017. Judge Searcy is married, with two children and seven grandchildren.

Judge Anne B. Flottman

Judge Anne Flottman Judge Anne Flottman was elected to Domestic Relations Court in November 2022. Judge Flottman has decades of experience in every aspect of Domestic Relations. Judge Flottman was a Magistrate in the Warren County Domestic Relations Court from 2014 to 2021. Before becoming a Magistrate, Judge Flottman was a partner at a law firm in downtown Cincinnati where she specialized in Domestic Relations law and represented spouses, parents, and grandparents in the Domestic Relations Courts of Hamilton County and its surrounding counties. Judge Flottman has also served as guardian ad litem for children to assist in determining what was in a child’s best interest.

Judge Flottman and her husband have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren. Judge Flottman is a graduate of the University of Kentucky (B.A.), Xavier University (M.A.), and University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.). Judge Flottman is a member of the NAACP, League of Women Voters, Ohio Women’s Bar Association, Ohio Bar Association, and Cincinnati Bar Association. She is also on the board of the Ohio Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

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Judge Betsy Sundermann

Judge SundermannJudge Betsy Sundermann was elected to Domestic Relations Court in November 2022. Prior to being elected judge, she served as a Hamilton County Probate Court magistrate for five years and on Cincinnati City Council for two years. Judge Sundermann was an Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor for thirteen years in the juvenile, dependency, drug forfeiture, municipal, and appellate divisions. She also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, a U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps law clerk, a U.S. District Court law clerk, and a Hamilton County Public Defender Guardian ad Litem.

Judge Sundermann earned her B.A. from DePauw University in 1998 and her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2003. She is admitted to practice in Ohio courts and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Judge Sundermann and her husband have two daughters.




Magistrates

Magistrates conduct trials and motion hearings pursuant to Rule 53, Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure. They issue orders relating to discovery issues, case scheduling, and related pre-trial matters. Magistrates set temporary custody, parenting time, and child and spousal support orders pursuant to Rule 75, Ohio Rule of Civil Procedure. They issue written decisions addressing issues relating to evaluation and division of marital property. Magistrates work with the Court Administrator and other Court personnel on specific projects related to the development of Court Rules, Forms, and Procedures. They perform and assist in the jobs and duties of co-workers when necessary in order to maintain the standards and integrity of the Court. Magistrates participate in programs designed to educate litigants and the general public regarding court procedures and the Court experience. They also assist the Court’s Information Technology staff in the development of computer programs to facilitate and upgrade the Court’s ability to generate and process information related to the disposition and tracking of cases. A Magistrate position requires a law degree as well as a combination of training and work experience that indicate the possession and skills of knowledge and ability to provide an unbiased forum for the litigation of disputes.

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