Robert Peeler at a glance
- Current role
- Common Pleas Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Robert Peeler
Common Pleas Judge · Warren Co. Common Pleas Court
Biography
Professional career
- Began his legal career as an extern in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Special Prosecutor’s Unit, White Collar Crime division (1981–1982) and later served 25 years as Prosecuting Attorney for the City of Mason and Deerfield Township
- Judge Robert Wayne Peeler serves in the General Division of the Warren County Common Pleas Court in Lebanon, Ohio
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Murray State University in 1979
Additional information
- Appointed by Governor Ted Strickland and assumed office on September 4, 2009, later winning elections to full terms in 2010 and 2014.
- a Juris Doctor from Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University in 1982, where he served on the National Moot Court team and as President of the Student Bar Association.
- Due to Ohio's mandatory judicial retirement age of 70, he was age-restricted from running for another term
- handling both criminal and civil cases.
- Judge Peeler has gained national attention for his innovative approaches to addiction treatment, including the use of Vivitrol injections for heroin-addicted offenders to reduce relapse rates.
- He presides over the Warren County Common Pleas Recovery Court, guiding high-risk offenders toward recovery while managing a full docket
- He has also been involved in high-profile cases, such as the sentencing of John Austin Hopkins for multiple counts of gross sexual imposition, which drew public scrutiny over sentencing decisions.
- He also owned the law firm Peeler, McGary & Zopff Co., LPA
- Excellence in Criminal Justice/Mental Health Award from NAMI/Southwest Ohio
- He has also been recognized for his leadership in behavioral health advocacy for offenders and was selected by the Ohio Department of Corrections to develop a pilot program for Medication Assisted Treatment in treatment courts
- Judge Peeler is a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist and a Judicial Fellow with the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
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 ↗