Leah M. Dinkelacker at a glance
- Current role
- Common Pleas Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Leah M. Dinkelacker
Common Pleas Judge · Hamilton Co. Common Pleas Court
Biography
Professional career
- Judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division in Ohio, appointed in March 2025 by Governor Mike DeWine to replace Justice Megan E. Shanahan
- Before becoming a judge, Dinkelacker held the role of Assistant Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney for nearly 13 years (2012–2025), working in the Juvenile, Municipal, and Felony divisions and serving as Assistant Chief of the Juvenile Division for about two years.
Education
Additional information
- Her legal career includes extensive trial experience and familiarity with both criminal and civil procedures
- She also acted as a constable for a judge, managing the civil docket.
- Judge Dinkelacker presides over criminal and civil cases in Hamilton County’s Common Pleas Court, including serious felony trials such as murder, rape, felonious assault, robbery, domestic violence, and OVI cases.
- She is a member of Our Lady of the Visitation Parish and serves on the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism
- She has been endorsed by local law enforcement groups and the Cincinnati 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 ↗