On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the Dayton Daily News reported that former Montgomery County Municipal Court Judge James Piergies resigned following his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business. The resignation, part of a plea agreement that led to the dismissal of felony charges, prompts Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to appoint a replacement for Piergies’ seat in the Western Division of the Montgomery County Municipal Court.
Piergies faced felony charges of attempted unlawful interest in a public contract, indicted in August 2024 alongside Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the state auditor’s office, which found that Piergies arranged for municipal court funds to pay for his son’s IT position in the Clerk of Courts Office, with the transfers authorized by Piergies himself. Following his indictment, Piergies was suspended from his judicial duties, and Judge William Cox has since overseen both the Western and Eastern divisions of the court, as permitted by state judicial assignment rules.
Piergies submitted his resignation letter to the Ohio Supreme Court on May 10, 2025, one day after his sentencing hearing, stating that circumstances prevented him from continuing his duties as a municipal court judge.
Governor DeWine, a Republican, will select the interim replacement for Piergies’ seat. The Montgomery County Republican Party is responsible for providing recommendations to the governor’s office to guide the appointment process. The appointee will serve until the general election in November 2025, when voters will choose a permanent replacement for the judicial position.
Two candidates have already filed petitions to run for Piergies’ seat in the upcoming election. Brandon Myers, a registered Republican and assistant prosecutor in Miami County, and Cindi Westwood, a registered Democrat and acting judge of Vandalia Municipal Court, both ran unopposed in the May 2025 primary election. Although municipal court judge races are nonpartisan outside of primaries, the candidates’ party affiliations reflect the political context of the race.
Piergies, originally a Democrat, voted as a Republican in the March 2024 primary election. His resignation marks the end of his tenure, which was marred by the controversy surrounding his son’s employment and the misuse of court funds.
Source: Dayton Daily News
