David Branstool at a glance
- Current role
- Common Pleas Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
David Branstool
Common Pleas Judge · Licking Co. Common Pleas Court
Biography
Professional career
- Branstool has been a judge of the Common Pleas Court, General Division since March 2010, appointed by then‐Governor Ted Strickland to fill a vacancy
- Municipal Court judge — 2003–2010
- Early legal roles: Private practice, multiple law firms, and public defense work
- Before joining the judiciary, Branstool practiced law in Central Ohio for nearly a decade and served as an assistant public defender for the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio
Education
- J.D., Capital University Law School (1994), Law Review, American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law (1992)
- in History, Ohio State University — B.A. (1989)
- Branstool has taught at the Ohio Judicial College and for various bar associations
Additional information
- These programs have been recognized with the Special Community Contribution Award (2010) and the Wellness and Recovery Champion Award (2014)
- He was elected in November 2010 to complete the term, re‐elected in 2012, and has continued to serve
- Born and raised in Utica, Ohio, Branstool graduated from Utica High School in 1985
- He serves on the Ohio Judicial Conference Criminal Law and Procedure Committee and the Ohio State Bar Association Jury Instructions Committee
- He is a member of the Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, and American Bar Association
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance tells courts to include instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses when remote-hearing information is sent to participants.
Instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance recommends advance ground rules for documents, exhibits, screen sharing, and pre-marking exhibits for remote hearings.
Documents: Share any documents/exhibits that will be reviewed in advance. Use the share screen function while documents are being discussed during the hearing. Request that the documents are pre-marked for exhibit purposes.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance states that litigants, attorneys, and the public should be instructed not to record the hearing.
The court should instruct the litigants, attorneys, and the public to not record the hearing.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 27, 2026.
Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster ↗Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗