WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Susan Wollscheid had an unofficial 104-vote lead over Melissa Upthegrove for Washington Court House Municipal Court Judge on Election Night, however, Fayette County Board of Elections officials said there are still ballots to count.
There are 45 absentee ballots yet to arrive at the office and 138 provisional ballots, according to Robin Beekman, chairman of the Board of Elections. The final total will be determined by the board on Nov. 20 and 21.
According to the unofficial totals from Tuesday night, Wollscheid received 3,810 votes to Upthegrove’s 3,706. Longtime Washington C.H. Municipal Court Judge Victor Pontious’s final term expires at the end of this year.
Wollscheid attended Southern State Community College and then transferred into an accelerated bachelor’s program through Wilberforce University. She obtained her juris doctor degree from the University of Dayton School of Law. She has practiced law in Fayette County since May of 2010.
Wollscheid has taken on several roles during her practice, including acting as prosecutor, public defender, administrative hearing officer for CSEA, appellate attorney, attorney for children and parents in juvenile court, Guardian and Litem in custody-related cases and child protective services cases, attorney for children and adults in criminal cases, small claims, and non-support cases.
“While working in our restaurant (Ranchers Roast Beef), I gained valuable experience as well,” she said. “I handled scheduling, ordering, accounting, reporting, supervised employees, maintained compliance with laws and regulations, and engaged with the public. These skills will be crucial to running the court efficiently. Throughout my career, I have developed working relationships throughout Fayette County that will be valuable in the role of judge.”
Wollscheid said her judicial philosophy includes looking “at the evidence presented in each case fairly and impartially, then apply the current law to the facts of that case in making a decision. If necessary, I will look to the legislative intent to guide my interpretation of the law.”
Upthegrove has a juris doctor degree from the Ohio State University College of Law and a bachelor of arts degree from the City University of New York. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Ohio (1996 to present) and in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (2015 to present).
Upthegrove served as a magistrate at Fayette County Probate/Juvenile Court (2001-2011); a law director (prosecutor) in the Village of Sabina, Clinton County (2009-2018); and an acting judge in Washington Court House Municipal Court in 2005. She has also operated a local private law practice, Upthegrove Law, from 2001-2023.
“My judicial philosophy is that judges should apply the law as written,” said Upthegrove. “I will look at the original intent of the legislature to determine how the law would apply to my set of facts. I would review each case with an open mind, without any preconceived opinion on how cases should be decided. I will be a fair and impartial decision maker.”
