The staff of the Washington Municipal Court presented Judge Pontious with a plaque of recognition in honor of his 18 years serving on the bench. The court staff members and his family were all present for the event.
Submitted photos
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — On Dec. 29, 2023, Victor D. Pontious, Jr. retired as the judge of the Washington Municipal Court, serving the community as a judge for over 30 years. His remarkable career went from teaching history to making history in the legal field serving with fairness and consistency for all who came before his bench.
Pontious always had a calm demeanor, which was a great asset in running his courtroom, according to Gene Ivers, the chief bailiff. Pontious said he was very appreciative of his talented and dedicated staff members and the support of his family.
After graduating from Miami (Ohio) University, Pontious taught history at Washington High School before attending Capital Law School to get his Juris Doctor degree to practice law. Pontious was admitted to the bar in 1979 and began his 44-year legal career as an attorney and judge in Washington Court House. In 1993, he began his judgeship being elected to the Common Pleas Court of Washington Court House and spent 12 years on the bench there.
In 2005, Pontious was elected to serve as the judge for the Washington Muncipal Court and recently retired with 18 years serving that court. Pontious replaced Judge Gary C. Stout after his retirement in 2005 after serving that court since 1978.
Pontious is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Fayette County Bar Association, the Ohio Municipal & County Judges Association, the Fayette County Farm Bureau, and the Lions Club.
Pontious said that judges have a rare opportunity to bring people together, using the position as a voice for the greater good of many. When asked about his noteworthy accomplishments while serving Fayette County, he is the most proud of his service to the underserved.
First, Pontious was instrumental in getting the Pickaway/Fayette County Area Recovery Services agency to open a women’s drug treatment facility in town to care for those persons who appeared in court with drug convictions. Second, Pontious called upon the talents of Chiquita Nash and facilitated the opening of Second Chance of Hope to serve the indigent and homeless of this county. Third, opening the Peace House, offering shelter to battered women and victims of violent crime was an endeavor Pontious accomplished through the help of Fayette County Community Action. Fourth, Pontious noted that there was no facility in Fayette County to serve homeless men in the area for overnight shelter, so he approached other community leaders to formulate a men’s shelter plan.
He worked with the City of Washington to purchase the McNair Presbyterian Church building, plan renovations and ask churches to support a faith-based environment to feed and house several homeless men due to extreme cold in the winter and sweltering heat in the summer. The McNair Mission is still a work in progress and should be opening soon.
Due to the high poverty level in Fayette County and the high recidivism rate of those returning to his courtroom, Pontious felt the need for more services to bring the community together to serve the needs of the under-served and downtrodden. He believes in guiding people by referring them to the needed services and worked to bring about the entities necessary to accomplish this goal. Pontious said being a judge is challenging, but the rewards of guiding those in need to services that are now available is satisfying.
Pontious said that raising his family in and serving Fayette County has been a joy and pleasure. Pontious said that he loves this community, there are good churches in this area, many hardworking people, and many benefits to living in Fayette County.
Pontious has been married for 25 years to Carole Grover Pontious and they have two children, Drew and Victoria. Carole Pontious is also an attorney who graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law and was admitted to the bar in 1999. She currently teaches at the Fayette Christian School and is also an adjunct professor at Southern State Community College. The Pontious’ also have a farm and raise goats.
The love of music and his Christian spirit led Pontious to be active in WCH Grace Methodist Church. He sings in the church choir, is part of the Grace Men’s Quartet, and shares his spiritual music in guitar solos with song.
For the next few months, Pontious will continue to work on his farm, raise and care for his goats, and prepare for the next step in his career. Sometime after the middle of April this year, Pontious has accepted the invitation, and been approved by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, for the position of visiting judge for municipal courts in the surrounding counties. Pontious wants to continue his service to the legal community.
