Governor appoints Rhonda Burggraf judge of Marion County Family Court

Andrew Carter, Marion Star
·2 min read

Gov. Mike DeWine has appointed Magistrate Rhonda Burggraf to serve as judge of Marion County Family Court.

The governor's office released the announcement on Thursday. Burggraf, who resides in La Rue, will replace Judge Robert Fragale, who retires from the court effective Dec. 31, 2022, ending a 40-year career in the legal profession, 30 years of which he spent serving as a judge in Marion County. She will assume office on Jan. 9, 2023, joining fellow Judge Larry N. Heiser on the family court.

The Marion County Republican Party Central Committee voted to recommend Burggraf as the candidate to replace Judge Fragale when it met on Nov. 19, 2022.

Judge Rhonda Burggraf
Judge Rhonda Burggraf

According to her resume, Burggraf, who has 31 years in the legal profession, has worked for the Marion County Family Court since 2012. She served as the probate investigator and family services coordinator from 2012 to 2017. She was appointed to serve as a magistrate in 2015.

Prior to joining Marion County Family Court, Burggaf owned and operated her own private practice, Burggraf Law in LaRue, from 2010 to 2012.

Burggraf served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office from 1997 to 2009 and for the Crawford County Prosecutor's Office from 1994 to 1997. She served as an attorney and district hearing officer for the Ohio Industrial Commission from 1993 to 1994. She began her legal career in 1991 as a law clerk for the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in Dayton.

Burggraf was a candidate for a judge's position on Marion County Family Court in 2020 after Judge Deborah Alspach retired from the bench. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Marion attorney Larry N. Heiser to fill the position.

Burggraf is a member of the Marion County Bar Association, the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute Class of 2023, the Women's Business Council, and the Marion Noon Kiwanis. She is also on the grant and scholarship committee for the Marion Rotary Club and serves as the secretary and 5k director for the LaRue Community Alliance.

Burggraf must run for election in 2024 to retain the seat on Marion County Family Court.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Governor appoints Rhonda Burggraf judge of Marion County Family Court