COLUMBUS — Members of the Ohio House frequently call Rep. William "Bill" Batchelder "the judge" for his years as a common pleas and state appeals court judge.

But Batchelder, R-Medina, may have just been handed his most challenging case.

House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, has asked Batchelder to review and report back to Husted by the end of the week on the merits of trying to impeach Attorney General Marc Dann and related issues.

"I've only been here (in the House) 32 years," said Batchelder, 65. "This will be the highlight of what I ever do if we go forward."

No elected official has been impeached since 1820 and no attorney general, governor or other constitutional officer ever has been impeached, he said.

Batchelder served in the House for 30 years until 1998 and then left to serve from 1999-2005 as a common pleas and state appeals court judge. He won election to the House again in 2006 and is among those seeking to succeed Husted as speaker.

A conservative who likes to quote Adam Smith and Ronald Reagan, Batchelder has a reputation for working with both Republicans and Democrats.

"I think Batchelder is an excellent choice," said House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, a Columbus Democrat.

With black-rimmed glasses and a fondness for cuff links, Batchelder also has a quirky side. He once used a police chief — his cousin — and a barking dog on his home answering machine.

There's still an active judge in the family. His wife, Alice Batchelder, sits on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati and was among those mentioned for the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy filled by Samuel Alito.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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