Mary King has been appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as the new Fayette County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge.

King, of Washington Court House, will assume office on March 27, and will be taking the seat formerly held by Judge David Bender, who resigned for a new seat on the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division.

King must run for election in November 2024 to retain the seat.

“I am truly humbled by the opportunity given to me by Governor DeWine, to serve the people of Fayette County,” King said. “Since being a youth raised in Fayette County, and later, when I returned and began my law career, I have been cognizant of the impact the Fayette County Juvenile and Probate Court has had on children and families. I look forward to consistently and expeditiously applying the law as written, fairly and impartially applying justice, and striving to make a difference to help others.”

She started her law career as a private associate attorney at Kiger & Kiger Lawyers. In 2006, she started her own firm — Mary E. King, Attorney at Law — where she was the sole practitioner. In 2008, while continuing her private practice, she became the Fayette County child support enforcement agency hearing officer.

King earned her Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School. King also holds a Bachelor of Science in human ecology from The Ohio State University.

King is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, United States Tax Court, and the Ohio Supreme Court.

King is a member of the Fayette County Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association.

King is involved with Miami Trace Local Schools, and is a member of the Fayette County Farm Bureau, the Washington Court House Rotary Club, and is a lifetime member of the Fayette County Historical Society.